Supreme Court Slams West Bengal Over 18-Year Delay in Retirement Dues

The Supreme Court criticized the West Bengal government for an 18-year delay in paying retirement dues to a man, dismissing the state's plea as 'frivolous' and imposing a penalty of Rs 10 lakh. The court ordered the dues to be paid within four weeks, noting prolonged procedural delays.

The Supreme Court has issued a strong rebuke to the West Bengal government for failing to pay a man's retirement dues for 18 years, calling the state's plea 'frivolous' and imposing a Rs 10 lakh penalty. The bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta dismissed the state's challenge to a Calcutta High Court decision.

In a decision rendered on February 14, the court criticized the state for filing its plea with a 'substantial delay of 391 days' without a satisfactory explanation. The bench decided the case on its merits and instructed that the penalty be paid to the respondent within four weeks.

The case highlights severe administrative delays, where despite being exonerated in a prior disciplinary inquiry, the retiree waited years for the settlement of his dues. The Supreme Court ordered immediate payment of all dues, condemning the state's inaction despite a high court order to release the funds.