Ranjit Kumar Pattanayak v. State Of West Bengal And ORS.

17.01.2024 Item No.54 Court No.18 AJ.

W.P.A. 26149 of 2023 Ranjit Kumar Pattanayak -Vs- The State of West Bengal & Ors.

Ms. Sreyasree Choudhury.

......for the petitioner.

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

None appears on behalf of the State respondents in spite of service.

The petitioner was an approved Assistant Teacher of a secondary school and retired from his service on superannuation on June 30, 2018.

The Pension Payment Order of the petitioner was issued on September 04, 2023 in pursuance whereof he received the gratuity and the arrear Pension on September 18, 2023.

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

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 arrear amount of pension and gratuity from the date of retirement of the petitioner 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. 26149 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.)