New Delhi: The Supreme Court bench led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud on Monday pulled up the Ministry of Defence for delaying payments to the ex-servicemen under the One Rank-One Pension (OROP) scheme. The bench also comprising Justices PS Narasimha and Justice JB Pardiwala directed the secretary concerned to file an explanation on January 20 letter that sought to extend the timeline for payments fixed by the court through its March 2022 order.
"We inform the secretary that we are going to implement measures against him for January 20 letter. Failure to do so will result in a contempt notice to the Ministry of Defence, so withdraw it. Here you are waging a war against the rule of law, you can not do this," said CJI Chandrachud. "How can you issue such a communication against our orders?," CJI Chandrachud questioned.
The Supreme Court posted the case after Hothe li vacation. The apex court authorised the Centre to pay the total arrears of OROP to all eligible pensioners of the Armed Forces from January 9 to March 15. The government last month petitioned the Supreme Court to extend the deadline until March 15, 2023, to pay the total arrears of OROP to all eligible pensioners of the Armed Forces.
The Supreme Court has given the extension to the Union government for the second time for the payment of the arrears after it had first moved the top court in June last year and the ministry had sought three months to make payments in accordance with the March 16, 2022 verdict of the apex court.
ASG N Venkatraman submitted that the ministry would need time to carry out the exercise as per the court's order and would file a compliance affidavit by April. The court adjourned the matter for listing after Hothe li vacation. On January 20, 2023, the ministry issued a communication stating that they would pay the arrears by way of four equal installments to be paid quarterly.
