JUDGMENT :

ASHOK KUMAR VERMA, J.

1. The petitioners-Union of India have approached this Court through this writ petition invoking extraordinary writ jurisdiction under Articles 226/227 of the Constitution of India praying for issuance of a writ in the nature of Certiorari for quashing the order dated 5.9.2019 (Annexure P- 5) passed by the Central Administrative Tribunal, Chandigarh Bench (for short ‘the Tribunal’) whereby the Original Application (OA) filed by respondent-Richa Dewan for release of arrears of pay and allowances on account of retiral benefits accrued on retirement of her late husband was allowed and respondent-Richa Dewan has been held entitled to interest at the rate as applicable to GPF from the date the amount became due to the actual date of payment within a period of one month. It is to be noticed that at the time of issuance of notice of motion, learned counsel for the petitioners confined the dispute only to the extent of award of interest, which is reflected in the order dated 2.11.2020 passed by a co-ordinate Bench of this Court.

2. Briefly, the facts as culled out from the present writ petition are that respondent-Richa Dewan is a widow. Her late husband- Arun