Rita Bhattacharya v. State Of West Bengal And ORS.

03.04.2024 Item No.86 Court No.18 SK W.P.A. 17809 of 2023 Rita Bhattacharya -Vs- The State of West Bengal & Ors.

Mr. Dilip Kumar Maiti ......for the petitioner.

Ms. Suman Singh ... for the State.

Affidavit-of-service filed by the learned advocate for the petitioner be kept with the record.

The husband of the petitioner was an approved Assistant Teacher of a secondary school and retired from his service on superannuation on January 31, 2017 and expired on October 26, 2018.

The Pension Payment Order of the employee concerned was issued on January 27, 2023 in pursuance whereof the petitioner received the gratuity and the arrear Pension on February 15, 2023.

The petitioner is praying that a writ of mandamus be issued commanding the respondents to pay interest on the said amount of gratuity and the arrear pension for the delayed payment.

Learned advocate for the State-respondents does not oppose the prayer of the petitioner. It is now well settled that the petitioner is entitled to the interest, as prayed for.

The respondents, the concerned Treasury Officer in particular are, therefore, directed to pay interest @ 8% per annum on the gratuity and the

arrear amount of pension from the date of retirement of the employee concerned till the date of such payment.

The payment as aforesaid shall be made within the period of eight weeks from the date of communication of this order, in default the said arrear amount shall fetch an additional interest of 2% per annum.

W.P.A. 17809 of 2023 stands disposed of with the above directions. There shall be no order as to costs.

Urgent photostat certified copy of this order, if applied for, be supplied to the parties subject to compliance with all requisite formalities.

(Biswajit Basu, J.)