1 wp3218-11 ttm IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION WRIT PETITION NO.3218 OF 2011 The Regional Provident Fund Commissioner, Thane .. Petitioner Vs. M/s.Sawant Food Products Ltd. .. Respondent Ms.Milam Jadhav i/b Mr.Sureshkumar for the petitioner None for the respondent CORAM: K.K. TATED, J. DATE: 23th JUNE, 2011 P.C. 1. Heard the learned counsel for the petitioner. 2. By this petition, under Article 226 and 227 of the Constitution of India, the petitioner original respondent challenges the order passed by the learned Presiding Officer of Employees Provident Fund Appellate ’ Tribunal, New Delhi in Appeal No.ATA 433(9)2004 allowing partly respondent s appeal reducing the rate of interest and remanding the ’ matter to the authority to calculate the same. 3. The learned counsel for the petitioner submits that in view of the proviso of section 14B of the Employees Provident Fund and Misc.Provisions Act, ’ 2 wp3218-11 1952, the Appellate Tribunal have no jurisdiction to reduce or waive the interest. The said proviso reads as under: [Provided further that the Central Board may reduce or “ waive the damages levied under this section in relation to an establishment which is a sick industrial company and in respect of which a scheme for rehabilitation has been sanctioned by the Board for Industrial and Financial Reconstruction established under section 4 of the Sick Industrial Companies (Special Provisions) Act, 1985, (1 of 1986) subject to such terms and condition as may be specified in the scheme]. 4. Bare reading of the said proviso shows that there is no restriction on Appellate Tribunal to reduce the rate of interest. Not only that the appellate authority remanded back the matter to the authority with a direction to assess interest at the rate of 17%. The Appellate Tribunal relied on the Judgment of Kolkata High Court in the case of Vikram Poddar vs. RPFRC reorted in 2001 Vol II LJ at pg 518. It is crystal clear from section 14B of the said Act that there is no restriction on Appellate Authority s power to reduce the interest rate. ’ 5. Considering these facts, I do not find any substance in the present Writ Petition. The same is dismissed summarily. (K.K. TATED, J.) 3 wp3218-11