HC raps edu dept for delaying retirement benefits to teacher

Taking exception to a six-year delay in the payment of retirement benefits to a Tamil teacher, the Madras high court has directed the education department authorities to pay the entire sum with interest within two months.

Justice N Paul Vasanthakumar gave the direction on a petition filed by TV Subramaniyam, a Tamil teacher who retired from the Government Higher Secondary School at Ranipet in Vellore district on March 31, 2003.

Thanks to the court's intervention, the teacher will now get statutory interest for his retirement benefits amounting to Rs 9.23 lakh.

Saying that his terminal benefits were given to him in installments spread over five months from November 2009 up to March this year, the teacher wanted the court to direct the education department authorities to pay a statutory interest on the amount for the delay period.

The officials, however, submitted that the delay was due to the fact that there was a charge pending against the teacher, and hence they could not be held responsible for the delay.

Rejecting their submissions, Justice Paul Vasanthakumar said that after having delayed payment for over six years, the authorities now could not put the blame on the Tamil teacher. "The inordinate delay was only on the part of the authorities concerned," he said.

"The reasons stated by the officials that only due to the pendency of the charge against the teacher that the payment of terminal benefits was delayed cannot be accepted, as the charge could not be proved in the end," the judge said.

Noting that the value of money, which was higher in 2003, had now got reduced in 2009-2010, the judge said that the authorities were liable to pay interest for the delay period. Not acceding to the petitioner's plea for 12 per cent interest, the judge then said he is entitled to get statutory interest rate as per rules.