The Supreme Court on Monday directed the Centre to pay arrears to eligible former military personnel under the One Rank-One Pension (OROP) scheme in staggered payments.
The order came after the Centre said that it faced a huge outgo of Rs 28,000 crore, and payment of it at one go could have serious implications for Defence management, as per Times of India.
Eligible family pensioners and gallantry winners of armed forces are to be paid arrears as per the OROP scheme by April 30, eligible pensioners above 70 years by June 30 and the rest of the eligible pensioners in equal instalments on or before August 30, November 30 and February 28, 2024, the Centre said, as per ANI.
The bench led by CJI DY Chandrachud said that though it was upset with the unilateral letter by defence ministry for payment of OROP arrears in instalments in breach of SC judgment to pay by March 15, on perusing the difficulties, it feels the national interest must not be lost sight of, the Times of India said.
The bench, during the hearing, also refused to accept the Centre’s sealed cover note about its views on the payment of the arrears.
“We need to put an end to this sealed cover practice in the Supreme Court… This is fundamentally contrary to basic process of fair justice,” said the bench of CJI D Y Chandrachud and Justices P S Narasimha and J B Pardiwala.
“I am personally averse to sealed covers. There has to be transparency in court… This is about implementing orders. What can be secret here,” the CJI said.
The apex court last week expressed concerns over non-payment of pensions to personnel from the armed forces. This was the second time SC has taken cognisance of the case this past month.
A three-judge bench headed by CJI DY Chandrachud expressed displeasure over recent communications by the Union Defence Ministry and urged them to withdraw the same.
The defence ministry has recently filed an affidavit and a compliance note in the top court, giving the time schedule for payment of the arrears of Rs 28,000 crore to ex-servicemen for years 2019-22.
(With agency inputs)
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