JUDGMENT :

Ujjal Bhuyan, J.

This order will dispose of WP(C) Nos.3086, 4802, 4806, 4813, 5384, 5387, 5389, 5392, 5816, 5901, 6068, 6071, 6085, 6086, 6087, 6089, 6090, 6097, 6170, 6846, 6851 and 1930/2018.

2. Heard Mr. A.D. Choudhury, learned counsel for the petitioners; Ms. A. Gayan and Mr. S.K. Medhi, learned Central Government Counsel for respondent Nos.1 to 4; and Ms. D. Borgohain and Ms. J. Purkayastha, learned counsel for the private respondents in all the cases.

3. In all the writ petitions, Assam Gramin Vikash Bank and its Chairman are the petitioners.

4. By filing this petition under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, they have challenged the impugned orders passed by the Controlling Authority under Section 3 of the Payment of Gratuity Act, 1972, who is also the Assistant Labour Commissioner (Central), Government of India, Ministry of Labour and Employment, Silchar whereby the employer i.e., Assam Gramin Vikash Bank was directed to pay additional payment with simple interest as part of the total gratuity in addition to Rs.10 lakhs already paid to the retired employees (private respondents in this bunch of writ petitions).

5. Though facts are not in dispute and are more or