Authority: Calcutta High Court, Constitutional Writ Jurisdiction, Appellate Side

Order Date: 29 June 2026

Case Overview

  • Petitioner: Arun Kumar Bose, retired employee of Calcutta Tramways Company (1978) Limited, now West Bengal Transport Corporation Limited (WBTC).
  • Respondents: State of West Bengal and other officials; WBTC represented by counsel.
  • Background: Petitioner retired on superannuation on 31 December 2024. While other retirement dues were paid on time, his provident fund (PF) dues were released only on 25 October 2025, causing a delay of nearly ten months.
  • Claim: Petitioner sought interest on the delayed PF payment, invoking the settled legal principle that a retired employee’s dues are a statutory right payable on the date of superannuation and that delay attracts interest.

Final Outcome

  • The Court directed the concerned authority of WBTC to pay simple interest at 6% per annum on the PF amount, calculated from the retirement date (31 December 2024) up to the actual date of payment.
  • The interest must be paid within four months from the date of communication of this order.
  • In case of default in paying the stipulated interest, an additional simple interest of 2% (making a total of 8% per annum) will be levied on the PF dues.
  • The writ petition is disposed of.

Topics: Provident Fund, Interest Award, Labor Law