IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA CWJC No.2339 of 2009 SAVITRI SINHA Versus THE STATE OF BIHAR & ORS ----------- 2. 18.2.2009 Heard counsel for the petitioner and the counsel for the State. It is really pathetic that a lady, widow of late Vinay Kumar Sinha, an Executive Engineer, who died in the year 1992 in harness, is still being made to run around for getting dues of her husband towards the contribution made by him in his provident fund account. Counsel for the State would justify such delay of more than 17 years in not making payment of amount of G.P.F. on the ground that there were certain intra departmental communication going between the Assistant Director of Provident Fund and the Engineer-in-Chief of the Road Construction Department seeking clarification from each other with regard to depositing of certain amount of contribution made by the husband of the petitioner in his life time in the G.P.F. 2 This Court would only sympathize with the affairs of the State of Bihar but at the same time it would make clear that if the accounts have not been properly maintained by the office of the Director of Provident Fund or the controlling department i.e. Road Construction Department, it is for them to decide as to who is to be made responsible for such lapse but at the same time the petitioner, the widow, cannot be made to suffer. This Court, therefore, would direct the Engineer-in-Chief cum Additional Commissioner cum Special Secretary of Road Construction Department, Government of Bihar as also the District Provident Fund Officer, Katihar, respondents no. 3 and 6 respectively to this writ application, to make payment of the admitted amount of provident fund within a period of one month from the date of receipt/ production of a copy of this order alongwith a calculation sheet. The petitioner will also be entitled for statutory interest for the entire period i.e. from the date of death of her husband till the date of actual payment. 3 With the aforementioned observation, this application is disposed of. (Mihir Kumar Jha,J.) Surendra/