CWP No.1671 of 1993 (1) IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB AND HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH CWP No.1671 of 1993 Date of Decision: 9.7.2008 Gurmukh Singh Bhatti and another ......Petitioners Versus The Punjab State Cooperative Bank Ltd. ......Respondents. Coram: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE HEMANT GUPTA Present: Shri Girish Agnihotri, Senior Advocate, with Shri Arvind Seth, Advocate, for the petitioners. None for the respondents. 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? HEMANT GUPTA, J. The petitioners have claimed a writ in the nature of mandamus for direction to the respondents to release the gratuity amount; leave encashment; pension; provident fund and other dues and to grant other consequential benefits. It is the case of the petitioners that they attained the age of superannuation after rendering more than 35 years and 40 years of service respectively, but the pension case of the petitioners has not been finalised by the respondents. On 23.8.2004, the counsel for respondent Nos. 1 and 2 made a statement that the present writ petition is squarely covered by the judgment of this Court rendered in Civil Writ Petition No.10676 of 1992, H.C. Gupta v. Punjab State Cooperative Bank Ltd. And another, decided on 23.11.2001. CWP No.1671 of 1993 (2) However, it was pointed out that the grant of interest @ 18% was excessive and therefore, the petitioners should not be granted interest @ 18%. The matter was adjourned on the request of the counsel for the respondents, who sought time to obtain instructions as 18% interest was granted to large number of similarly situated employees. It is thus, apparent that the issue raised in the petition is the one which is covered by the decision of the aforesaid writ petition. However, the grant of interest on delayed payment is matter of discretion of the Court. Therefore, I deem it appropriate to allow the present writ petition in the same terms as CWP No. 10676 of 1992. However, the petitioners shall be entitled to interest @ 8% p.a. from the date the amount fell due till its payment. The directions be complied with within a period of three months from the date of receipt of the copy of the order. However, liberty is granted to the petitioners to take recourse to their legal remedies, if the amount of retiral benefits including the amount of gratuity is not properly computed, before the appropriate Forum. With the said direction, the writ petition is disposed of. (HEMANT GUPTA) JUDGE 09-07-2008 ds