Sudhir Ranjan Roy, J. - (1.) This application by the petitioner in C.R 13790(W) of 1981 is for a direction upon the State Government to pay interest to him on account of failure to settle the retirement benefits immediately after retirement.
(2.) The petitioner, formerly a Superintendent of Stationery, Government of West Bengal, retired from service with effect from October 1, 1980. But for a long time he was not paid his retirement benefits consequent to which ho had to face tremendous financial difficulties. His representation having failed to make the Government alive to the situation he sought intervention of this court as the last resort by invoking its writ jurisdiction and this court by its order date 20.11.81 directed the Government to pay the petitioner the balance of his retirement benefits Thereafter, by another order dated May 7, 1982, the Court overruled certain frivolous objections raised by the Government and once again directed payment of the retirement benefits and pension to the petitioner within a period of eight weeks from the date of the communication of the order. This ultimately yielded results and the petitioner Was paid his retirement benefits in the following manner ; - (1) Gratuity amounting lo Rs. 27,061 50p. was paid on July 22, 1982 and the balance of Rs. 1000/- was paid on March 21, 1983. (2) Arrear of pension from March 30, 1981 to May 31, 1982 amounting to Rs. 10,824/- was paid on July 22, 1982 and the arrear from October 1, 1980 to March 29, 1981 amounting to Rs. 5,062 80p was paid on November 21, 1983. (3) First instalment of the balance of the Provident Fund amount payable on October 1, 1980 was paid on June 3, 1981 and final payment of Rs. 2640/- was made on May 24, 1982.
(3.) It is really unfortunate that employees of the Government in service are very often forgetful of the fact that their tenure in the office is not eternal. And this is manifest by their callousness and indifference to the needs of their retired colleagues. This criminal indifference is perhaps the reason why their superannuated colleagues have to run around from pillar to post with begging bowls so to say, for collecting what is legitimately due to them and what they have earned after working for long years. It is callousness, lethargy and sometimes possibly some other motivation which give birth to such indifference and lame excuses and a retired man who is badly in need of money firstly to keep his body and soul together and then for other social necessities, is made to muster strong whatever little energy is left in him to measure the length between his residence and office every day with the faint expection that some day in this Way he may evoke the sympathy of his erstwhile colleagues with whom he had possibly worked together for years setting across the same table.;