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The Tripura High Court has directed the National Institute of Technology (NIT), Agartala, to pay over ₹85 lakh towards pro-rata pension contribution, leave salary contribution and gratuity to a former employee, holding that the Institute could not deny him service benefits contrary to its own memorandums recognising his past service.

Justice Biswajit Palit remarked that: “Whatever benefit the petitioner will accrue should be paid by NITA. The said memorandum has not been nullified by NITA at any point of time.” 

The petitioner, Dr. Sumanta Chakrabarti, initially served with the Tripura State Pollution Control Board from March 16, 1996, to August 11, 2011, before joining NIT Agartala as Deputy Registrar on August 12, 2011.

NITA subsequently issued memorandums dated December 4, 2012, and July 23, 2013, recognising his past service for pensionary and leave benefits under the CCS (Pension) Rules, 1972 and CCS (Leave) Rules, 1972.

After NITA denied these benefits, the petitioner approached the High Court in 2017. The Single Judge allowed his petition in 2021, and the Division Bench upheld the decision in 2023. The Supreme Court subsequently dismissed NITA's Special Leave Petition in 2024.

Alleging that NITA had only partially complied with the directions and incorrectly calculated his pension and leave salary contributions, the petitioner filed the present writ petition seeking release of the remaining service benefits.

The High Court observed that NITA's memorandums dated December 4, 2012, and July 23, 2013, clearly recognised the petitioner's previous service from March 16, 1996, to August 11, 2011, for pensionary and leave benefits. It noted that these memorandums had never been challenged or withdrawn by the Institute and had attained finality.

The Court further observed that the earlier judgment granting the petitioner pensionary benefits had been upheld by the Division Bench and the Supreme Court had dismissed NITA's challenge. Rejecting the Institute's contention that the petitioner had failed to submit an authenticated statement of the capitalised value of pension and gratuity, the Court held that this objection was contrary to its own memorandum dated July 23, 2013.

Finding that NITA had failed to establish complete compliance with the earlier directions, the Court held that the petitioner was entitled to the claimed benefits and directed the Institute to release the amounts within three months, after deducting any payments already made. 

Date of Decision: 15.10.2026

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