New Delhi: The Supreme Court said Monday that the Centre is duty-bound to comply with its 2022 judgement on the payment of One Rank One Pension (OROP) arrears to ex-service personnel. The Supreme Court asked the Centre to pay dues for 2019-2022 worth Rs 28,000 crore to them by February 28 next year.
A Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, at the outset refused to accept the Centre’s sealed cover note on the payment of OROP dues. It provided a time schedule to the Ministry of Defence to pay the arrears to the ex-service personnel, categorised under several heads.
“The Union government is duty-bound to comply with the judgement of this court in the terms of the OROP scheme,” the apex court bench said.
The Supreme Court bench also blasted the Centre for presenting the report in a sealed envelope. “We will not take any confidential documents or sealed covers, and am personally averse to this. There has to be transparency in court. This is about implementing the orders. What can be the secrecy here?” CJI Chandrachud asked the Attorney General. He added that he wanted to put an end to ‘the sealed cover business’. “If the Supreme Court follows it, High Courts will also follow,” asserted CJI Chandrachud.
Also read: ‘Harebrained Idea’: Chief Justice on asking live-in couples to register
The bench noted that out of 25 lakh pensioners, four lakh did not qualify for the OROP scheme. This is because they were getting enhanced pensions and the Centre proposed to pay the arrears by April 30, 2023.
Reducing the time limit to February 28 next year, the Supreme Court bench gave the time schedule for payment of arrears to different groups of pensioners under the OROP scheme.
The bench, also comprising justices PS Narasimha and JB Pardiwala, directed that the six lakh family pensioners and gallantry award winners ‘shall will be paid their OROP dues by April 30, 2023’.
It said around four-five lakh retired servicemen aged 70 years and above shall be paid their OROP dues in one or more installments by June 30.
The OROP dues for 10-11 lakh remaining pensioners shall be paid in three equal installments by February 28 next year, the Supreme Court bench said. It added that the payment of the dues ‘will not affect further equalisation of pension of ex-servicemen to be done in 2024’.
The bench was hearing the Indian Ex-Servicemen Movement’s (IESM) plea over payment of OROP dues. The top court, on March 13, had come down heavily on the government for ‘unilaterally’ deciding to pay OROP dues in four installments.