If it is a matter of national interest, then let’s leave it… Supreme Court has given permission to pay OROP dues in installments.

PTI, New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday said that the central government is bound to pay the dues of One Rank One Pension (OROP). Tell that the court had ordered for this in 2022. The court asked the Center to clear the dues of Rs 28,000 crore for 2019-2022 by February 28 next year. Expressing displeasure with the previous letter from the Centre, the court said that in the national interest, the Center has agreed to pay the dues in installments.

The bench directed that six lakh family pensioners and gallantry medal winners be paid dues by April 30, 2023. Retired military personnel of seventy years and above be paid in one or more installments by June 30 this year. The rest of the pensioners should be paid in three equal installments till 28 February 2024. The bench made it clear that the payment will not affect the process of equalization of pension of ex-servicemen which is to be done in 2024. At the same time, the bench refused to accept the reply given in the sealed cover of the Center on the payment of OROP. The court said that there is a need to stop the practice of replying in sealed envelopes in the Supreme Court. This is contrary to the process of fair justice.

Answer in sealed cover on OROP, angry CJI Chandrachud said stop it
Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, Justice P.S. Narasimha and Justice J. B. Pardiwala’s bench refused to accept the Central Government’s note given in a closed cover on payment of dues at the start of the hearing. The court said, ‘The central government is bound to comply with the judgment of this court in the context of the OROP scheme.’ The bench noted that out of 25 lakh pensioners, four lakh were not found eligible for the OROP scheme as they were getting enhanced pension. The Center had proposed to clear the dues by April 30, 2023. The court reduced this deadline to February 28 next year. It gave time to various groups of pensioners to pay dues under the OROP scheme.

The bench directed that OROP dues be paid to six lakh family pensioners and gallantry medal winners by April 30, 2023. The court said that about four-five lakh retired military personnel aged 70 years and above should be paid OROP dues in one or more installments by June 30 this year. The bench said that OROP dues to the remaining 10-11 lakh pensioners be paid in three equal installments by February 28 next year. Along with this, the bench made it clear that the payment of dues will not affect the process of equalization of pension of ex-servicemen which is to be done in 2024.

Explained: What is contained in a sealed envelope? The Supreme Court got angry when the government handed over

Court angry on sealed envelope

Upon commencement of the hearing, the apex court refused to accept the reply given in a sealed cover by the Center on payment of OROP dues. “We need to stop the practice of replying in sealed covers in the Supreme Court,” the bench said. This is basically contrary to the basic process of dispensation of fair justice. Chief Justice Chandrachud said, ‘I am personally against being answered in a sealed cover. There should be transparency in the court. It is about carrying out orders. What can be confidential in this.