Panaji: Bombay high court has requested the state finance secretary to fix responsibility for the delay in releasing pension and other benefits to a Margao court staffer.The court also awarded interest at 6% per annum to her for the approximately 10-month delay in releasing her pension and other terminal benefits.A division bench of Justices Valmiki Menezes and Amit Jamsandekar requested the finance secretary to call for and examine the records of the South Goa district court and the accounts department, and, after hearing the director of accounts, the head clerk, and the chief officer of the district court, to pass orders fixing responsibility for the delay.“We are leaving it to the secretary of finance to adopt such measures as are permitted by the rules, after the orders are passed, to effect recovery of the interest awarded from the officers held responsible for such a delay,” the court said.The staffer had sought interest at 10% per annum for the delay in payment of gratuity, commuted leave, leave encashment, and pension. She retired on April 30, 2024, and did not receive any terminal benefits until she approached the HC. The benefits were released by an order dated Feb 17, 2025.The HC held that 10% was on the higher side and cited its July 24, 2025 judgement in Jagdish Pundalik Phadke v the state of Goa and 5 others, where 6% per annum was found fair in similar circumstances.“We choose to follow the same interest rate for this matter as well, and considering the present rates of interest that banks grant on deposits, we grant relief in terms of prayer clause (a) and fix the interest rate at 6% per annum instead of 10% per annum as prayed for; the interest shall be calculated at 6 % per annum for the period of delay by the head clerk of the civil and criminal courts, South Goa, Margao,” the court directed, adding that the calculation must be completed within two weeks.It further directed that the head clerk forward the calculations and interest to the director of accounts within two weeks following which the latter shall effect payment within two weeks thereafter.
