IN THE HIGH COURT OF KERALA AT ERNAKULAM PRESENT : THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE S.SIRI JAGAN WEDNESDAY, THE 27TH OCTOBER 2010 / 5TH KARTHIKA 1932 WP(C).No. 30144 of 2010(P) ------------------------- PETITIONER : ----------------- P.JANARDANAN PILLAI, S/O.LATE PALPU PILLAI, VENNIYIL MULAMUTTIL, THATTARAM PALAM P.O., MAVELIKKARA-3. DEPUTY MANAGER, STEEL INDUSTRIES KERALA LTD. BY ADV. SRI.P.K.ABOOBACKER (EDAPPALLY) RESPONDENT(S): ------------------------- 1. STEEL INDUSTRIES KERALA LTD., (SILK) REPRESENTED BY ITS MANAGING DIRECTOR, MULANKUNNATHU KAVU, ATHANI P.O., THRISSUR, PIN-680771. 2. THE MANAGING DIRECTOR, STEEL INDUSTRIES KERALA LTD. (SILK), MULANKUNNATHU KAVU, ATHANI P.O., THRISSUR, PIN-680771. 3. THE SENIOR MANAGER (HUMAN RESOURCES) STEEL INDUSTRIES KERALA LTD., STEEL FABRICATION UNIT, S.N.PURAM P.O., CHERTHALA – 695 051. 4. THE DEPUTY GENERAL MANAGER, STEEL INDUSTRIES KERALA LTD., STEEL FABRICATION UNIT, S.N.PURAM P.O., CHERTHALAI, PIN – 695 051. R1 TO R4 BY ADV. SMT. LATHA KRISHNAN THIS WRIT PETITION (CIVIL) HAVING COME UP FOR ADMISSION ON 27/10/2010, THE COURT ON THE SAME DAY DELIVERED THE FOLLOWING: Mn S.SIRI JAGAN, J. ----------------------------------------- W.P. (C) NO. 30144 OF 2010 ---------------------------------------- Dated this the 27th day of October, 2010. JUDGMENT The petitioner, after putting 19 years of service, resigned from the service of the first respondent company. His grievance in this writ petition is that he has not been paid gratuity admittedly due to him. The learned standing counsel appearing for the respondents submits that the amount could not be paid to the petitioner only because of financial stringency. According to him many other retired employees are also waiting for payment of gratuity. 2. Petitioner resigned from service as early as on 29.8.1999. 11 years have already gone by. I do not think that the respondents can postpone further the payment of gratuity due to the petitioner. Accordingly, I direct the respondents to pay the gratuity due to the petitioner as expeditiously as possible, at any rate, within a period of 3 months from the date of receipt of a copy of this judgment. The petitioner seeks a direction to pay interest also. It would be open to the petitioner to approach the W.P. (C) NO. 30144 OF 2010 2 authorities under the Payment of Gratuity Act seeking interest also on the amount in accordance with the Payment of Gratuity Act. The writ petition is disposed of as above. S.SIRI JAGAN, JUDGE mns