HPSEBL Must Pay Retiree Arrears, 6% Interest

Authority: High Court of Himachal Pradesh, Shimla

Order Date: 19 October 2023

Case Overview

• Petitioner: Er. Satish Kumar, retired Senior Executive Engineer (C/M) of Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board Limited (HPSEBL).
• Respondent: Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board Limited.
• Petition filed under Article 226 of the Constitution seeking payment of arrears of pay, pension, gratuity, leave encashment, and commutation of pension arising from the pay‑scale revision effective 01‑Jan‑2016, as per HPSEBL (Pay Revision) Regulations, 2022 (Head Office Memorandum dated 12‑Apr‑2022).
• Petitioner claimed that arrears of revised pay from 01‑Jan‑2016 to 30‑Sep‑2018 and the corresponding revisions of pension, gratuity, and leave encashment had not been paid; the respondent did not dispute these facts.
• The petition relied on earlier High Court judgments in CWP No.2108 of 2023 (31‑May‑2023) and CWP No.2421 of 2023 (15‑Jun‑2023), where similar relief was granted with interest at 6% per annum.

Final Outcome

• The Court allowed the writ petition.
• Directed HPSEBL to pay arrears of revised pay from 01‑Jan‑2016 to 30‑Sep‑2018 with interest at 6% per annum from the due date until realization.
• Directed revision and payment of pension, gratuity, leave encashment, and commutation of pension with interest at 6% per annum from 01‑Jan‑2016 until realization.
• Compliance to be effected within six weeks from the date of the order.
• All pending applications, if any, stand disposed of.

Topics: Employee Benefits, State Electricity Board, Judicial Relief