GOBARDHAN NAIK Vs. STATE OF ORISSA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The petitioner, who is a retired police officer, by means of this writ petition, seeks direction to the opposite parties to pay balance GPF amount with interest and compounded interest @ 18% per annum on all the retrial benefits, such as, pension, gratuity, GPF, commuted value of pension and unutilized leave salary for delayed payment of such dues.

(2.) The factual matrix of the case, in brief, is that the petitioner was initially appointed as a Lower Division Clerk in the office of Zilla Parishad, Sundargarh in the year 1963. After joining in service, a subscription account was opened in his name in the same year vide A/C No. 21657-G.A. (O) and accordingly account slip was issued to him by the Executive Officer, Zilla Parishad Office, Sundargarh. While he was so continuing, in the year 1964, he appeared an interview for the post of Sub-Inspector of Police and was selected to undergo training. Consequentially, he was relieved from the office of Zilla Parishad, Sundargarh on 10.01.1964 and joined in the Police Training College, Angul on 14.01.1964. During his training period, he was regularly subscribing to the GPF account. After completion of training, he was relieved from the Police Training Centre, Angul in December, 1964 and joined as Sub-Inspector of Police in Sambalpur on 01.01.1965 and there he continued till May, 1974. Though he was paying the GPF dues, but he did not receive any account slip for the years 1964-65 and 1965-66. Therefore, he approached the authority on several occasions, but no action was taken.

(3.) Although pleadings were completed, on the abolition of the Odisha Administrative Tribunal, Cuttack Bench, Cuttack, the above noted O.A. No. 2044 (C) of 2005 was transferred to this Court, in pursuance of order dated 03.01.2020 passed in W.P.(C) No. 27440 of 2019 by a Division Bench of this Court, and registered as above and taken up for hearing.