Rajnath Singh Directs Defence Ministry To Release Third Instalment Of OROP Payment Before Diwali

OROP Payment: Rajnath Singh also said banks and other agencies have been directed to release the third OROP instalment for all pensioners drawing pension through them.

Rajnath Singh interacts with Army personnel during his visit to forward posts in Arunachal Pradesh last month ( Image Source :PTI )

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday directed the ministry to release the third instalment of One Rank One Pension (OROP) payment for defence pensioners before Diwali. The minister also said banks and other agencies have been directed to do the same for all defence pensioners drawing pension through them.

In a post on X, Rajnath Singh said, "Have directed the MoD to release the third instalment of OROP Payment for the Defence Pensioners drawing pension through SPARSH System, before Diwali."

Raksha Mantri Shri @rajnathsingh has directed the MoD to release the third instalment of OROP Payment for the Defence Pensioners drawing pension through SPARSH System, before Diwali.

The Banks and other agencies have also been directed to do the same for all defence pensioners…

— रक्षा मंत्री कार्यालय/ RMO India (@DefenceMinIndia) November 9, 2023

Earlier this year, the Supreme Court asked the government to clear OROP arrears in three equal instalments by February 28, 2024. The top court agreed with the Centre's stand that payment of Rs 28,000 crore OROP dues for nearly 21 lakh ex-servicemen at one go could impact defence preparedness.

The Supreme Court directed that the 6 lakh family pensioners and gallantry award winners should be paid their OROP dues by April 30, 2023. About 4-5 lakh retired servicemen aged 70 years and above should be given their dues in one or more instalments by June 30. The rest 10-11 lakh pensioners should receive their arrears in three instalments by February 28, 2024, the bench had said.

The directions from the top court came after it pulled up the Centre for "unilaterally" deciding to pay OROP dues in four instalments. The Centre's decision was challenged by a group of ex-servicemen in the SC.

The OROP scheme entails the payment of the same amount of pension to Armed forces personnel for the same rank and same length of service, irrespective of the date of retirement.

The Congress had attacked the BJP-led Central government over the manner in which OROP was implemented and claimed "large scale anomalies" had crept in. Congress' ex-servicemen department chief Col (retd) Rohit Chaudhry said, "The present form of OROP-1 and 2 is not the actual OROP conceptualised under the UPA regime, but is a 'one rank and many persons'."