Competent authorities must decide representations seeking interest on delayed stipend by reasoned order within four weeks.

The applicants were in-service DNB trainee doctors under the Government of NCT of Delhi. They claimed that their stipends had been released after considerable delay.

In an earlier proceeding, OA No. 1247/2025, the Tribunal issued directions concerning release of stipend; a subsequent contempt petition was disposed of with liberty to pursue a claim for interest on delayed payment before the appropriate forum.

The applicants then made representations seeking interest, which they submitted had not been considered.

At the hearing of this OA, they confined their prayer to a direction requiring the respondents to decide those representations by a reasoned and speaking order.

1. Whether the competent authority should be directed to consider and decide the applicants’ representations seeking interest on delayed stipend by a reasoned and speaking order.

2. Whether the Tribunal should determine the merits of the applicants’ claim for interest in this OA.

The Tribunal cited no specific statute, precedent, or substantive legal test. It applied the administrative-law requirement, reflected in its direction, that the competent authority consider the representations “in accordance with law” and issue a reasoned and speaking order.

The Tribunal expressly reserved the merits of the claim.

Because the applicants limited their requested relief to a decision on their pending representations, the Tribunal did not adjudicate whether interest was legally payable.

It instead directed the competent authority to consider and decide the representations in accordance with law, giving reasons in a speaking order. This addressed the asserted failure to consider the representations without prejudging the substantive claim.

The Tribunal expressed no opinion on the merits, and made no order as to costs.

The application to join the applicants together was allowed.