IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB AND HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH CWP-4303-2026 (O&M)

Date of decision: 12.02.2026 Punnu Ram ....Petitioner Versus State of Punjab and others ....Respondents CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE HARPREET SINGH BRAR Present: Mr. Surinder Garg, Advocate for the petitioner.

Mr. Vikas Arora, DAG, Punjab.

Mr. Rehatbir Singh Mann, Advocate for respondent No.3.

HARPREET SINGH BRAR J. (Oral)

1. Prayer in this writ petition filed under Articles 226/227 of the Constitution of India, is for issuance of a writ in the nature of mandamus, directing the respondents to release interest @ 18% per annum to the petitioner on the delayed payments of retiral benefits.

2. Learned counsel for the petitioner, inter alia, contends that the petitioner was appointed as Safai Sewak on 02.06.1984 and retired as such, on 30.06.2022 from the office of respondent No.3. After his retirement, the respondent No.3 withheld the retiral benefits of the petitioner for a period of 2-3 years despite there being no departmental or criminal proceedings against him. Feeling aggrieved, the petitioner approached this Court by filing CWP-23728-2022, which was disposed of on 17.10.2022 with a direction to respondent/competent authority to consider and decide the claim of the petitioner. Thereafter, the impugned speaking order was passed by the respondents on 23.12.2022 (Annexure P-2). The particulars of the dues of the petitioner as well as the paid retirement dues, is reproduced hereunder:-

2.1. Learned counsel for the petitioner further submits that all admissible dues have already been released to the petitioner. The complete details, including the dates of payment, are set out in Para 7 of the writ petition, which reads as follows:-

7. That thereafter the said amount of Rs.24,31,885/-

was paid to the petitioner during the period varied from 30/01/2023 to 03/04/2025 i.e. Rs.17,12,803 on 30.01.2023, Rs.50,000/- on 06.07.2023, Rs.20,000/- on 06.10.2023, Rs.30,000/- on 17.11.2023, Rs.30,000/- on 04.12.2023, Rs.10,000/- on 15.01.2024, Rs.30,000 on 15.02.2024, Rs.20,000/- on 05.04.2024, Rs.50,000/- on 17.05.2024, Rs.60,000/- on 04.07.2024, Rs.10,000/- on 06.08.2024, Rs.20,000/- on 08.08.2024, Rs.50,000/- on 09.08.2024, Rs.10,000/- on 28.10.2024 and Rs.3,73,915/- on 03.04.2025 respectively, which shows that the amount has been paid to the petitioner in piece-meal, and no lumpsum amount has been paid, even no interest had been paid on the delayed payment of his retiral benefits, whereas, he is entitled for the same.

3. Learned counsel for respondent No.3, on the other hand, submits that all the retiral benefits due to the petitioner have already been released and no amount remains outstanding. He further submits that the payments were made from time to time and the entire admissible amount stands disbursed and since the retiral dues have been paid, the petitioner is not entitled to the grant of interest.

4. I have heard learned counsel for the parties and perused the record with their able assistance.

5. A gainful reference can be made to the judgment rendered by a Full Bench of this Court in A.S. Randhawa Supg. Engineer (Retd.) vs. State of Punjab 1998 (1) SCT 343 wherein it was opined that disbursement of pension and other benefits payable at retirement must be done in a timely manner. Any delay over a period of two months, qua the said disbursement would entitle the retired employee to claim interest on the amount due. Speaking through Justice N.K. Sodhi, the following was held:

“9. Since a Government employee on his retirement becomes immediately entitled to pension and other benefits in terms of the Pension Rules, a duty is simultaneously cast on the State to ensure the disbursement of pension and other benefits to the retirer in proper time. As to what is proper time will depend on the facts and circumstances of each case but normally it would not exceed two months from the date of retirement which time limit has been laid down by the Apex Court in M. Padmanabhan Nair's cas