1. The instant petition has been filed under Articles 226/227 of the Constitution of India, seeking a writ in the nature of mandamus directing the respondents to sanction, fix and release all outstanding pensionary and retiral dues of the petitioner, including gratuity, leave encashment, arrears of pension and all other consequential monetary benefits in accordance with law, who retired from Punjabi University, Patiala on 30.04.2024 (Annexure P-4) from the post of Cycling Coach, along with all consequential retiral benefits. Further seeking directions to the respondents to fix and revise the pay and pensionary benefits of the petitioner by granting him the same pay-scale parity and consequential service/retiral benefits as have been granted to similarly situated Coaches of the Sports Department in terms of the judgments dated 11.05.2015 in CWP No.3874 of 2010 (Annexure P-6) and 02.03.2016 in LPA No.1277 of 2015 (Annexure P-7), and in view of the University's own Committee proceedings dated 24.08.2023 (Annexure P-8), Syndicate Proceedings dated 10.10.2023 (Annexure P-9), dated 12.06.2014 (Annexure P-11) and dated 01.12.2023 (Annexure P-12). Further seeking directions to the respondents to extend to the petitioner the benefit of revised pay/personal grade under the University's UGC scale as per the Seventh Pay Commission from October 2022, together with all consequential refixation of last pay drawn, pension, gratuity, leave encashment and arrears. Further directions be issued declaring that the respondents cannot deny to the petitioner the benefit of revised UGC/teacher-equivalent pay and pension merely by relying upon the exclusion of "Coaches" in any general notification, inasmuch as coaches of the Sports Department of Punjabi University have already been held entitled to parity with lecturers/teaching faculty and have also been brought under the UGC-linked benefit structure by the respondent-University itself; and to pay interest at the rate of 12% per annum on the delayed release of pension and all retiral dues, from the date each amount became due till the date of actual payment.

2. Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that for redressal of his grievance, the petitioner has also submitted a representation dated 01.04.2026 (Annexure P-17) to the respondents which is still pending consideration. He further submits that at this stage, the petitioner would be satisfied, if appropriate directions are issued to respondent No.1 to consider and decide said representation, by passing a speaking order, in a time bound manner.

3. Notice of motion.

4. Mr. Vipul Jindal, Advocate appears and accepts notice on behalf of respondents No.1 & 2, and Mr. Surya Kumar, AAG, Punjab, accepts notice on behalf of respondents No.3 & 4 and have no objection to the innocuous prayer made by learned counsel for the petitioner.

5. I have heard learned counsel for the parties and have gone through the record of the case.

6. Without going into the merits of the case at this stage, the present petition is disposed of with a direction to respondent No.1 to decide the representation dated 01.04.2026 (Annexure P-17) of the petitioner expeditiously, by passing a speaking order after affording an opportunity of hearing to the petitioner, preferably within a period of 03 months from the date of receipt of certified copy of this order. Further, the decision taken thereon shall be conveyed to the petitioner.