IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA CWJC No.10975 of 2010 SURYADEV PANDEY, S/O LATE AMBIKA PANDEY, R/O VILL.- DUBWALIYA, P.S.- GOPALPUR, DISTT.- GOPALGANJ. ---Petitioner Versus 1. THE STATE OF BIHAR. 2. THE DISTRICT MAGISTRATE, GOPALGANJ. 3. THE DISTRICT EDUCATION OFFICER, GOPALGANJ. 4. THE TREASURY OFFICER, GOPALGANJ. 5. THE ACCOUNTANT GENERAL, BIHAR, PATNA. 6. THE DIRECTOR, SECONDARY EDUCATION, GOVERNMENT OF BIHAR, PATNA. ---Respondents ----------- 3. 9.11.2010 As prayed for, the petitioner is permitted to add the Director, Secondary Education, Government of Bihar, Patna as respondent no.6. Heard learned counsel for the petitioner and the respondent-State as also the learned counsel appearing for the Accountant General. It is submitted on behalf of the Accountant General that an authorization for payment of gratuity has been issued and sent to the Treasury as per Memo No. Pen.-05/PEN130810053169/442186G1 dated 26th of August, 2010. Copy of the Gratuity Payment Order produced in the Court has been kept on the record. Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that the aforesaid Gratuity Payment Order has been issued after a long delay and, as such, the petitioner is entitled to interest for the delay caused on the part of the official. In the facts and circumstances aforementioned, it will be - 2 - open for the petitioner to present his claim for payment of interest by way of representation before the District Education Officer, Gopalganj (respondent no.3), with a copy to the Director, Secondary Education, Government of Bihar, Patna (respondent no.6) stating in detail with regard to the delay caused in payment of the gratuity as also enclosing the copy of the relevant documents, if any, in support of his claim for interest along with the certified copy of the present. In case such a representation is filed within a period of four weeks, the claim for payment of interest be considered in accordance with law considering the extant instructions of the State Government with regard to the payment of interest over the delayed payment expeditiously, preferably within a period of four months on receipt of such representation. In case the representation of the petitioner is not accepted, the same may be communicated to the petitioner with the reasons thereof. The writ application stands disposed of with the above observations/directions. PNM (Shailesh Kumar Sinha, J.)