Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has directed the Ministry of Defence to disburse the third installment of the One Rank, One Pension (OROP) payment to defence pensioners ahead of Diwali.
The minister has also instructed banks and other relevant agencies to follow suit for all defence pensioners receiving pensions through them.
“Raksha Mantri, Rajnath Singh, has directed the MoD to release the third instalment of OROP payment for the defence pensioners drawing pensions through the SPARSH System before Diwali. The banks and other agencies have also been directed to do the same for all defence pensioners drawing pensions through them,” the Defence Minister’s Office said in a post on X.
The One Rank, One Pension (OROP) initiative seeks to standardize pension amounts for Armed Forces personnel of the same rank and length of service, irrespective of their retirement date.
Earlier this year, the Supreme Court mandated the government to clear OROP arrears in three equal payments by February 28, 2024. The court’s instructions were prompted by its criticism of the government’s unilateral decision to distribute OROP dues in four installments. This decision faced legal challenges from a group of ex-servicemen in the Supreme Court.
Earlier this year, the Supreme Court mandated the government to settle OROP arrears in three equal payments by February 28, 2024. The court’s intervention followed its criticism of the government’s initial decision to disburse OROP dues in four installments, a move contested by a group of ex-servicemen in the Supreme Court.
Furthermore, the Supreme Court directed that OROP dues for 6 lakh family pensioners and gallantry award winners should be settled by April 30, 2023. These directives were issued following the court’s disapproval of the government’s chosen four-installment method for OROP disbursement.
The defense ministry’s online pension disbursal system, SPARSH, introduced in 2021, caters to armed forces personnel who retired up to June 30, 2019, excluding those retired prematurely (PMR) from July 1, 2014, onwards. As of December last year, estimates indicated coverage for over 25.13 lakh pensioners and family pensioners, with more than 4.52 lakh new beneficiaries included in the revised system.
