IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB & HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH Civil Writ Petition No.9830 of 2010 Date of Decision : May 25, 2010. Balraj Singh .....Petitioner versus State of Punjab and others .....Respondents CORAM : HON'BLE MR.JUSTICE SURYA KANT. Present : Mr.Amrik Singh, Advocate, for the petitioner. -.- 1. Whether Reporters of Local papers may be allowed to see the judgment? 2. To be referred to the Reporters or not? 3. Whether the judgment should be reported in the Digest? --- Surya Kant, J. (Oral) The petitioner retired as Assistant Engineer from the Department of Water Supply and Sanitation, Government of Punjab, w.e.f. 29.2.2008. His grievance is that the retiral dues including the Death-cum- Retirement Gratuity, commutation of pension and arrears of pension etc. have not been fully paid to him. In addition, the petitioner has alleged that a sum of Rs.3,50,000/- has been paid to him on 5.2.2010 followed by another payment of Rs.4,92,290/- on 16.3.2010 and that no interest has been paid on these delayed payments. The petitioner accordingly seeks a direction to the respondents to grant him interest as well on the retiral benefits. In this regard, the petitioner is said to have served the respondents with a legal notice dated 30.11.2009 (Annexure P-5) but C.W.P.No .9830 of 2010 2 without any response thereto. Having heard learned counsel for the petitioner, it appears that if the petitioner was not responsible for causing any delay in releasing the payments, he would be entitled for the interest on the delayed payments. The writ petition is accordingly disposed of with a direction to respondent No.1 to consider the claim of the petitioner for grant of interest @ 7% per annum on the delayed payments, unless he is found responsible for causing the delay. It is further directed that the left out benefits, if any, be also released to the petitioner within a period of two months from the date of receiving a certified copy of this order. The State Government shall be at liberty to recover the amount of interest from the Officer/Official found guilty for causing delay in making the payments. Dasti. May 25, 2010 (SURYA KANT) Mohinder JUDGE