PARVEEN KUMAR Vs. HRTC

JUDGEMENT

(1.) This writ petition has been filed by the petitioner, who had retired fr m the service of the respondents-Himachal Road Transport orporation (HRTC), with the prayer that the respondents may be directed to pay the remaining retiral benefits to the petitioner alongwith interest for the delay on part of the respondents.

(2.) Reliance has been placed on the judgment passed by a Division Bench of this Court in CWP No. 3050 of 2014, titled Nek Ram versus State of Himachal Pradesh and others, decided on 17/7/2014 and also on a subsequent order of this Court dtd. 25/8/2021, passed in CWP No. 4377 of 2021, titled Sh. Subhash Chand versus The Himachal Road Transport Corporation, Shimla and others alongwith connected matters, in which, the respondents were directed to pay the retiral benefits to the petitioners within a period of six months. In case, the required retiral benefits are not paid to the petitioners within the aforesaid period of six months, then in addition to the due statutory benefits, the petitioners shall also be paid interest at the rate of 9% per annum beyond the period of six months till the date f actual payment.

(3.) In another subsequent order of this Court passed in CWP No. 6034 of 2021, titled Ram Lal versus The Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation Ltd. and another and the connected matter, decided on 23/11/2021, the respondents were directed to make payment of gratuity to the petitioners within a period of six months from the date of passing the order. In the event of non -payment of due amount, the petitioners were held entitled to differential amount of interest between the amount of interest statutorily payable to the petitioners as per the Payment of Gratuity Act and the interest at the rate of 9% per annum for the period of delay beyond six months.