ROSHAN LAL Vs. D T C

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The petitioners herein have preferred the present writ petition seeking inter alia, directions to the respondent/DTC to pay interest on the pensionary benefits @ 12% compounded annually as the same were released to the petitioners belatedly without any justification.

(2.) A quick glance at the facts of the case reveals that the petitioners were employed with the respondent/DTC on the post of Traffic Supervisors and Conductors and after their retirement, they were entitled for payment of the pensionary benefits. However, the respondent/DTC withheld the pensionary benefits of the petitioners for a period ranging from one year to two years in the case of six petitioners and over 10 years in the case of petitioner no.7. The details of the petitioners, the date of their retirement, the date of releasing of the pensionary benefits as also the delay that occurred in the payment of the pensionary benefits by the respondent/DTC, as furnished by the petitioners, is reproduced below in the following statement : <FRM>JUDGEMENT_287_ILRDLH16_2007Html1.htm</FRM>

(3.) The counsel for the petitioners states that the aforesaid action of the respondent/DTC in withholding the pensionary benefits of the petitioners without any justification and delaying the release thereof to the petitioners is illegal and arbitrary and that the petitioners are entitled to interest on the delayed period of payment. Counsel for the petitioners claim that despite the repeated representations made by the petitioners to the respondent/DTC for payment of interest on the pensionary benefits released to them belatedly, the respondent/DTC neither took any action on the said representations, nor took any steps for making the said payment, thus compelling the petitioners to approach this Court by way of the present writ petition.