A pending administrative claim does not excuse unexplained delay in seeking Tribunal relief.

The applicant, a retired Deputy Station Manager of Southern Railway, claimed unpaid Over Time Allowance (OTA) for 2,596 hours worked between 2004 and 2008, stated to amount to ₹4,02,166.

An OTA summary recording the hours and amount was issued in March 2020, shortly before his retirement on 31 May 2020.

He had previously pursued proceedings before the Madras Bench of the Tribunal, which resulted in orders concerning sanction of OTA and consideration of a representation.

He filed the present application on 21 August 2024, accompanied by an application to condone 1,268 days’ delay, relying on a medical certificate concerning treatment for lumbar disc prolapse.

The respondents opposed condonation but stated that the OTA claim remained under consideration, pending receipt of documents and orders from Railway Headquarters.

Whether the applicant had shown sufficient grounds to condone the 1,268-day delay in filing the Original Application.

Whether the applicant’s pending OTA claim could be adjudicated by the Tribunal despite the delay.

The Tribunal referred to Bhoop Singh v. Union of India, (1992) 3 SCC 136, in connection with the requirement to explain delay.

It held that the applicant had not provided satisfactory and convincing reasons for the substantial delay, and that the delay alone warranted rejection of the Original Application.

No specific statutory provision governing limitation was identified in the order.

The Tribunal considered that the documents relied on by the applicant dated from 2020 and that he had retired in May of that year, while the Original Application was not filed until August 2024.

It found no adequate explanation for the intervening period; the medical certificate and asserted treatment did not, in the Tribunal’s assessment, satisfactorily account for the delay.

Although the respondents confirmed that the claim remained pending, that circumstance did not overcome the limitation objection or permit the Tribunal to consider the claim in the delayed proceedings.

It clarified that the applicant could provide the documents sought by the respondents and that the respondents could consider his claim in accordance with law.

No costs were awarded.