Arun Kumar Mondal v. State Of West Bengal And ORS.

02-01-2023 Item No.7 Subrata Bhattacharyya

IN THE HIGH COURT AT CALCUTTA

Constitutional Writ Jurisdiction Appellate Side WPA No.28233 of 2022 Arun Kumar Mondal -vsThe State of West Bengal & Ors.

Mr. Krishna Pada Santra ...for the petitioner Mr. P.K. Bhattacharyay ...for the State The writ petitioner retired from service on superannuation as a library attendant of Berhampore District Library, Murshidabad on January 31, 2018. After his retirement, the first pension payment order was issued by the authority concerned on April 10, 2018. Thereafter, since ROPA 2019 came into force on September 16, 2020, the revised pension payment order was issued on February 22, 2022.

The petitioner's case is that though he retired on January 31, 2018, he received payment of his pensionary benefits on May 18, 2018 and while ROPA 2019 was implemented on September 16, 2020, he received the further pensionary benefits in terms of the revised pension payment order on February 24, 2022. Hence he seeks a direction upon the concerned authority to pay interest to him for the belated payment of gratuity and arrear pension. Learned counsel appearing for the petitioner submits that getting the pensionary benefits is the legal right of the petitioner and the pensionary amount is not a bounty of the employer. He further submits that as per the nationalised savings scheme for the senior citizens, any deposit made by a senior citizen now carries interest at the rate of 8% p.a.

He further submits that had the petitioner received his pensionary benefits in time, the amount which he would have received would carry interest at the rate of 8% p.a. As such, learned counsel prays for interest at the rate of 8% p.a. for the belated payment of pensionary amount. Having heard learned counsels appearing for the respective parties and on consideration of the documents annexed to the writ petition, I feel that the writ petition may be disposed of by passing the following direction. Accordingly, the concerned respondent, especially the third respondent - the Treasury Officer, Berhampore-I, Murshidabad - is directed to pay interest at the rate of 8% p.a. on the delayed payment of gratuity and arrear pension in terms of the first pension payment order from February 1, 2018 and in terms of the revised pension payment order with regard to ROPA 2019 from September 16, 2020 till the date of final payment, within six weeks from the date of communication of this order.

With the aforesaid direction, WPA No.28233 of 2022 stands disposed of. No order as to costs.

All parties are to act on the server copy of this order duly downloaded from the official website of this court. Certified copy of this order, if applied for, shall be made available to the parties.

[Rabindranath Samanta, J]