New Delhi: In what will bring cheers to the veterans, defence minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday issued direction for the release of the third instalment of arrears under the 'One Rank On Pension' scheme to the defence pensioners before Diwali.
Last year in December, the Union Cabinet approved the revision of the pension of armed forces under the One Rank One Pension (OROP) scheme from July 2019, which benefited over 25 lakh pensioners (including 4.52 lakh new beneficiaries). The arrears were to be paid in four instalments.
Rajnath Singh has directed the MoD to release the third instalment of OROP Payment for the Defence Pensioners drawing pension through SPARSH System, before Diwali," Singh's office said on platform X. "The banks and other agencies have also been directed to do the same for all defence pensioners drawing pension through them," it said.
The online pension disbursal system of the defence ministry is called SPARSH which was rolled out in 2021. The armed forces personnel retired up to June 30, 2019 (excluding those retired prematurely (PMR) with effect from July 1, 2014, are covered under the revision. It was estimated in December last year that more than 25.13 lakh (including over 4.52 lakh new beneficiaries) pensioners and family pensioners would benefit from the decision.
Around Rs 23,638 crores will be paid as arrears from July 2019 to June 2022 after the revision of the pension. It is estimated the Central government will incur an additional annual expenditure of Rs 8,450 crore for implementation of the revision calculated at around 31 per cent dearness relief.
Modi government had implemented OROP for the defence forces personnel and family pensioners and issued a policy letter on November 2015 for revision of pension from July 01, 2014. In the said policy letter, it was mentioned that in future, the pension would be re-fixed every five years.
