Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday refused to accept the Centre's sealed cover note about its views on the payment of One Rank One Pension (OROP) arrears to ex-service personnel.
"We need to put an end to this sealed cover practice in the Supreme Court... This is fundamentally contrary to basic process of fair justice," said a bench of Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices P S Narasimha and J B Pardiwala.
"Retired servicemen aged 70 and above shall be paid OROP dues in one or more instalments by June 30 this year," said SC according to a report by news agency PTI.
What did CJI Chandrachud say?
"I am personally averse to sealed covers. There has to be transparency in court... This is about implementing orders. What can be secret here," the CJI said.
The bench is currently hearing the Indian Ex-Servicemen Movement's (IESM) plea over payment of OROP dues. The top court, on March 13, came down heavily on the government for "unilaterally" deciding to pay OROP dues in four instalments.
The defence ministry had recently filed an affidavit and a compliance note in the top court, giving the time schedule for payment of the arrears of Rs 28,000 crore to ex-servicemen for years 2019-22.
SC earlier refused to accept another sealed cover suggestion by Centre on Adani-Hindenburg row
The Supreme Court of India earlier in Feb refused to accept the Centre's sealed cover suggestion on a panel to strengthen regulatory measures in the stock market after Adani-Hindenburg row. The bench refused to accept the names in an envelope for ensuring transparency of the procedure to safeguard Indian investors against volatility.
On the court's recommendation of an expert panel led by a former judge to probe the Hindenburg report, the central government had said that it doesn't have an objection, but won't undermine SEBI's efficiency. It had then proposed to submit suggestions, including names of panelists, in a closed envelope.
After rejecting the closed envelope, the bench said that since the names need to be disclosed to the other side, the court will appoint a committee on its own. It also maintained that a sitting judge won't be a member of the committee to examine the Hindenburg report and the Adani stock crash that followed.
