One Rank One Pension
The Indian government has put into effect the One Rank One Pension (OROP) plan for retired Armed Forces personnel and their families. The total cost over the 8-year span from 2014 to 2022 is estimated to be around Rs. 57,000 crore, averaging Rs. 7,123 crore annually. On January 4th, 2023, the government issued an OROP pension revision order, with specific guidelines and pension charts released on January 20th, 2023. The revised pensions for Armed Forces pensioners/family pensioners under the OROP scheme will commence from July 1st, 2019.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF DEFENCE
DEPARTMENT OF EX-SERVICEMEN WELFARE
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 449
TO BE ANSWERED ON 03rd February, 2023
ONE RANK ONE PENSION
449. SHRI KOMATI REDDY VENKAT REDDY:
SHRI KANUMURU RAGHU RAMA KRISHNA RAJU:
SHRI SUBBARAYAN K.
SHRI MANNE SRINIVAS REDDY:
Will the Minister of DEFENCE be pleased to state:
(a) whether the Government has approved and implemented a pension revision for retirees from the Armed Forces and their family members under the One Rank One Pension (OROP) Scheme;
(b) if so, the details thereof along with the progress made in this regard so far and if not, the reasons therefor;
(c) whether One Rank One Pension (OROP) for nearly 2.5 million army pensioners has not been implemented by the Government till date despite the direction of Supreme Court in March, 2022 to fix their pensions and pay the amount by 15th June, 2022;
(d) if so, the details thereof alongwith the timeline by which they are expected to be paid their due pensions; and
(e) if not, the reasons therefor?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE (SHRI AJAY BHATT)
IN THE MINISTRY OF DEFENCE
(a) & (b): The Government had issued orders on 07.11.2015 for implementation of One Rank One Pension (OROP) for the Armed Forces pensioners/family pensioners with effect from 01.07.2014. For about eight years, starting from 01.07.2014, the total expenditure works out to approximately Rs. 57000 crore @ Rs. 7123/- crore per year.
(c) to (e): Government has issued order for revision of pension for the Armed Forces pensioners/family pensioners w.e.f. 01.07.2019 under OROP vide MoD letter dated 04.01.2023.Detailed instructions along with pension tables for each rank and each category under OROP have been issued on 20.01.2023. Necessary instructions have been issued for payment of revised pension to the Armed Forces pensioners/family pensioners under OROP w.e.f. 01.07.2019.