Ganesh Pradhan v. The State Of West Bengal And ORS

08.05.2023 pp.

Calcutta High Court In the Circuit Bench at Jalpaiguri Appellate Jurisdiction WPA 1032 of 2023 Ganesh Pradhan versus The State of West Bengal & Ors.

Mr. Anirban Chakraborty ...For the Petitioner.

Mr. Subir Kumar Saha, Mr. Pretom Das ...For the State.

Affidavit of service filed in Court today is taken on record.

The petitioner was a Librarian of a High School and retired from service on 31st July, 2016. The first Pension Payment Order was issued on 21st July, 2016 and paid on 23rd September, 2016. Under the Revision of Pay and Allowance Rules, 2019 (in short, "ROPA Rules, 2019"), there was further revision of the pension and gratuity amount payable to the petitioner. The revised Pension Payment Order was issued on 3rd September, 2021 and the revised gratuity and revised arrear pension was disbursed on 8th November, 2021. The petitioner claims interest on delayed payment of revised gratuity and also revised arrear pension. I have heard learned counsel for the parties and considered the materials on record as also the orders passed by this Court in similar facts.

An employee immediately on his/her retirement becomes entitled to his/her retiral benefits. In order to provide the retired employee with all benefits in time, the processing of his/her pension papers starts six months before the date of his/her retirement.

It is also a settled position of law that the right of a retired employee to get his/her retiral dues on the date of attaining superannuation is a valuable right which accrues in his/her favour on the date of his/her attaining superannuation. Further, gratuity and pension are no more considered to be a bounty to be handed out by the State at its whim. An employee has a statutory right to receive gratuity and pension upon retirement. If payment of such gratuity and pension is delayed the retired employee is surely entitled to get interest for such delayed payment in view of the provisions of Payment of Gratuity Act, 1972 and treating arrears of pension on similar line. The interest is also payable as the retired employee is deprived from the benefit of the money during the period of delay.

In the present case, it was the bounden duty of the State to disburse the gratuity and pension amount and/or revised amount on the due date. If it has failed to do so and has released such amount after unexplained delay, it is obliged to pay interest to the retired employee. Pension and gratuity are welfare provisions aimed at maintaining the life of a retired employee and his/her dependents. This is compensatory in nature.

It has also been held by the Hon'ble Supreme Court in S.K. Dua v. State of Haryana & Anr. reported in (2008) 3 SCC 44 that an employee has a right under Articles 14, 19 and 21 of the Constitution of India to claim interest on delayed payment of retiral benefits. In view of the aforesaid and keeping in mind the financial condition of the employer after the pandemic and as held by the Hon'ble Supreme Court in the judgment reported in (2021) 11 SCC 543 (State of

Andhra Pradesh & Anr.

v.

Dinavahi Lakshmi Kameswari), 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 writ petitioner at the rate of 6% simple interest per annum on the amount of revised gratuity and revised arrear pension paid belatedly, calculated on and from the date of revision till the date of actual payment. So far as the delay in paying the benefits under the first PPO dated 31st July, 2016 no interest is allowed as the petitioner has approached this Court after a long delay and that too without any specific prayer. The concerned officers/department shall start the process of disbursing the interest immediately on receiving a server copy of this order without waiting for the certified copy.

At the time of payment of the interest amount, the petitioner shall produce the certified copy of the order. The payment has to be made within three months from the date of receipt of the server copy from the petitioner and/or his/her advocate. In default of making payment of the amount within three months, the respondent authorities shall be bound to pay interest @ 10 per cent simple interest per annum on the money paid belatedly from the date of revision till the date of actual payment.

Since no affidavit in opposition has been invited, the allegations contained in the writ petition are deemed not to be admitted.

WPA 1032 of 2023 is disposed of.

There will be no order as to costs.

Urgent photostat certified copy of this order, if applied for, be supplied to the parties as early as possible.

(Arindam Mukherjee, J.)