1Whether reporters of Local Papers may be allowed to see the judgment? Yes IN THE HIGH COURT OF HIMACHAL PRADESH, SHIMLA CWP No.7800 of 2025 Date of decision: 28.05.2025 Santosh Kumar. ...Petitioner. Versus Punjab National Bank & Ors. ...Respondents. Coram: Ms. Justice Jyotsna Rewal Dua, Judge. Whether approved for reporting? For the petitioner : Mr. P.P. Chauhan with Ms. Arushi Chauhan, Advocates. For the respondents : Mr. Vinod Kumar Gupta, Advocate. Jyotsna Rewal Dua, Judge Notice. Mr. Vinod Kumar Gupta, Advocate, appears and waives service of notice on behalf of the respondents. 2. This writ petition has been filed for the grant of following substantive relief:- “i. Issue a Writ in the nature of Mandamus or any other appropriate writ, order, or direction, commanding the Respondents to forthwith calculate and pay the officiating allowance due to the Petitioner for the period July 2016 to June 2018 (total 405 days) for officiating in the higher posts of Senior Manager/Chief Manager, strictly in accordance with Regulation 23(6) of the Punjab National Bank (Officers) Service Regulations, 1979. ii. Issue a further writ, order, or direction commanding the Respondents to recalculate the Petitioner's pensionary and other retiral benefits considering the officiating allowance as part of pay, and release all consequential arrears thereof. -2- iii. Issue a further writ, order, or direction commanding the Respondents to pay interest @ 18% per annum (or such rate as this Hon'ble Court deems fit) on the delayed payment of the officiating allowance and the arrears of consequential benefits from the date they became due till the date of actual payment.” 3. Learned counsel appearing for the petitioner submits that the petitioner has represented to the respondents on 17.03.2020 (Annexure P-2), however, the competent authority has till date not taken any call on the aforesaid representation. Learned counsel further submits that the petitioner would be content in case the respondents/competent authority(s) are directed to decide the aforesaid representation within a fixed time schedule. Learned counsel for the respondents is not averse to this prayer. 4. Having regard to the afore-submissions, but without examining the merits of the matter, this writ petition is disposed of with a direction to the respondents/competent authority to consider and decide the aforesaid representation of the petitioner in accordance with law within a period of six weeks from today. The decision so arrived at shall also be communicated to the petitioner. -3- The writ petition stands disposed of in the above terms, so also the pending miscellaneous application(s), if any. Jyotsna Rewal Dua 28th May, 2025 Judge (Pardeep)