Process to withdraw communication on payment of OROP dues in 4 installments has been initiated: Government tells SC.

Process to withdraw communication on payment of OROP dues in 4 installments has been initiated: Government tells SC. 

The Defense Ministry has told the Supreme Court that it has initiated the process of withdrawing its communication on payment of One Rank-One Pension (OROP) arrears in four installments and a timetable for payment of dues of Rs 28,000 crore. given. Ex-Servicemen for the year 2019-22.

The ministry has filed an affidavit and a compliance note in the apex court after the government on March 13 criticized the government for “unilaterally” taking the decision to pay the OROP dues in four instalments.

A bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, which is scheduled to hear on Monday the Indian Ex-Servicemen Movement’s (IESM) plea on payment of OROP dues, told the government that before it wanted its plea Withdraw your communication of 20th January immediately. Extension of time should be heard.

“Withdrawal of the communication dated January 20, 2023 will have to go through the due process of approval at the highest level in the government. The applicant has initiated the process for compliance of the order of this Court on the same day. It is also submitted that the applicant is not being entitled to withdraw the January 20 communication, both the notice and initiation being done on the same day and the applicant is pursuing the matter in letter and spirit,” Vijay Kumar Singh, Secretary, Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare, Ministry of Defense said in the affidavit.

In a March 17 compliance note, the Defense Ministry said its budget outlay for the financial year 2022-23 is Rs 5.85 lakh crore, of which about Rs 1.32 lakh crore is the planned expenditure for total pension disbursement.

An amount of more than Rs 1.2 lakh crore has already been disbursed till February 2023 for the year 2022-23 to all the pensioners under the ministry and there is no problem with this.

Giving a schedule for payment of OROP dues, the government said, “The outlay for the dues is of the order of Rs 28,000 crore. The budget outlay planned for 2022-23 is not in a position to absorb the huge outlay in one go.” “The Ministry of Defense being a strategic sector has to strike a fine balance between the financial expenditure on its operational commitments and the expenditure incurred on its personnel including defense pensioners. Since resources are limited…, there is a need to regulate the expenditure in such a manner that individual needs are met without compromising the operational readiness of our Armed Forces… It stands to reason that (as in the past) The OROP has been approved for disbursement in four instalments,” it said.

It said the total number of armed forces pensioners whose pension is to be upgraded/revised under OROP was 25 lakh.

“Out of 25 lakh pensioners, four lakh will not be eligible for OROP as their pension payments are already above the OROP benchmark and hence the number comes down to 21 lakh pensioners,” the compliance note said.

Of the 21 lakh pensioners, six lakh will come under the category of “family pensioners”, bringing down the number to 15 lakh.

The court had on March 13 directed the government to calculate the number of retired soldiers who are 70 years and above and put the number of such pensioners at 4-5 lakh.

“It is submitted that around 14 lakh pensioners, including 4 lakh family pensioners, have already been paid a substantial portion, amounting to Rs 6,500 crore,” it said, adding that the first installment would be released to all pensioners by March 31. Efforts will be made to complete the payment. Which will take the quantity to Rs 8,000 crore.

“There are six lakh family pensioners and gallantry award winners and their arrears will be settled by March 31, 2023, but in view of the involvement of multiple disbursing agencies and to avoid inaccuracies, it is respectfully requested that the full payment for the six lakh Time should be given to complete the settlement. Family pensioners and gallantry award winners by April 30, 2023.

The Defense Ministry said pensioners, who are above 70 years, are “about four lakh” and given the budget constraints and the multiplicity of disbursement systems, it will take four-five months to pay OROP dues to this category of ex-servicemen. time should be given. ,

“… an outer time limit of 4-5 months is prayed for to settle the dues in full in one go in respect of this category, which will be done on or before September 31, 2023 It said the matter of payment of arrears of 70-year-old pensioners

“In the last installment of 10-11 lakh pensioners, considering the size of payments and various operational factors, instead of disbursement in four equal installments (one installment has already been paid), spread over a period of two years . Applicants pay the remaining three installments within the financial year 2023-24 ending March 31, 2024 and thus provide justice.

Earlier, Attorney General R Venkataramani had said that the Center has paid one installment of OROP dues to ex-servicemen, but further payments need some more time.

“First withdraw the January 20 notification on payment of OROP dues, then we will” consider your application for time,” the bench had told Venkataramani.

The bench had said that the Defense Ministry’s January 20 communication was completely contrary to its decision and it cannot “unilaterally” say that it will pay OROP dues in four instalments.

It had asked the Attorney General to prepare a note detailing the quantum of payment to be made, the modalities to be adopted and the priority clause for payment of dues.

On February 27, the apex court pulled up the ministry over the delay in payment of OROP dues to eligible pensioners of the armed forces and sought an explanation from the secretary concerned for issuing communication to extend the deadline for payment set by the court.

The top court had on January 9 given the Center time till March 15 to clear the total OROP dues. But on January 20, the ministry issued a release that the dues would be paid in installments over four years