Hyperbole on the policy presents much rosier picture: SC grills Centre on OROP

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday shot a volley of questions at the Centre in connection with its current policy on One Rank, One Pension (OROP) in the armed forces.

A bench headed by Justice D.Y. Chandrachud and comprising Justices Surya Kant and Vikram Nath told the Centre’s counsel, “How have you implemented OROP, and what happens after…give us some examples, how people have benefitted.”

Additional Solicitor General (ASG) N. Venkatraman, who represented the Centre, pointed out that the petitioners have raised three contentions — they say it should be automatic, not periodic; review once in 5 years is not acceptable; and third is the chart which he will present before the court. He added that the chart shows that one should take the scale and not go by the mean. The bench said the government has taken the mean, but no one is brought down? The ASG agreed.

Venkatraman referred to a tabular chart citing a comparison between sepoys, who retired after 2015 and before 2015. The bench queried suppose somebody retired in 1990 and the Modified Assured Career Progression (MACP) scheme came in 2006, the rank will still remain but the officer will get the different pay scale. The ASG urged the top court not to bring MACP into the matter. (IANS)