P.N. Ravindran, J.

The petitioners are former employees of the Kerala State Electricity Board (hereinafter referred to as 'the Board' for short). Upon retirement they were paid terminal benefits including gratuity computed in terms of the provisions contained in Part-III of the Kerala Service Rules. Long after their retirement from service, the petitioners filed separate applications before the Controlling Authority under the Payment of Gratuity Act, 1972 (hereinafter referred to as the "Act" for short) seeking payment of gratuity in terms thereof. Those applications were disposed of by orders produced and marked as Exts.P1 to P4 in W.P.(C) No.34217 of 2011. By the said orders, the Controlling Authority held that the petitioners are entitled to gratuity under the Act and directed the Board to pay the difference in the amount of gratuity together with simple interest at the rate of 10% per annum from the date on which it fell due, within 30 days of receipt of the order. Before the Controlling Authority, the question as to whether the petitioners are entitled to interest on the difference in the amount of gratuity was specifically raised and decided in favour of the petition