Sabitri Prasad Goswami v. State Of West Bengal And ORS.

11th January, 2022 W.P.A. 18962 of 2021 (BD) Sabitri Prasad Goswami -Vs- The State of West Bengal & ors.

Mr. Sourav Mitra ... for the petitioner.

Mr. Sucharita Roy .... for the State Mrs. Tapati Samanta ..... for the District Library Officer Affidavit of service filed in Court today is kept on record.

The petitioner was an approved librarian who retired from service on 30.09.2005. The petitioner had completed all pension-related formalities. However, the concerned authorities delayed and released the gratuity as well as arrear pension amount on 27.05.2011. The petitioner herein seeks interest to be paid on the gratuity as well as arrear pension amount for the interim period of delay in receipt of the arrear pension amount. There is a considerable delay in filing of the writ petition, which the petitioner seeks to justify by stating that there is no statutory period of limitation and none of the parties have suffered due to the delay. It is the submission of the petitioner that accordingly the petition should be allowed. The petitioner relies upon an order in W.P.17557(W) of 2017 (Narayan Chandra Saha Vs. State of West Bengal & ors.) wherein a co-ordinate bench had relied upon the

Supreme Court judgement in the case of Union of India Vs. Tarsem Singh, reported in (2008) 8 S.C.C. 648 on the issue of limitation relating to payment or refixation of pay or pension wherein the Apex Court had held that relief may be granted inspite of delay as it does not affect the rights of the third party.

In view of the above and after hearing the learned Counsel for the petitioner, I direct the Director of Pension, Provident Fund and Group Insurance, Government of West Bengal as also the concerned Treasury Officer to pay interest to the petitioner @ 8% per annum on the gratuity as well as arrear pension amount calculated from 01.10.2005 till the date of payment. Such payment is to be made within a period of eight weeks from the date of communication of this order.

This writ petition is accordingly disposed of without any order as to costs.

Since no affidavit is called for, the allegations made in the writ petition are deemed to have been denied. (Moushumi Bhattacharya, J.)