The Supreme Court of India refused to accept the sealed cover note today while hearing a case involving the disbursement of pension arrears under the OROP (One Rank One Pension) scheme. The Central Government provided the note. During the hearing, the Attorney General of India, R Venkatramani, presented a sealed cover note to the CJI. The bench refused to accept it, and the Chief Justice of India requested that the note be shared with the Senior Advocate representing the ex-servicemen (Huzefa Ahmadi). “It is confidential,” the attorney general said.
CJI DY Chandrachud expressed his disapproval of the use of sealed covers in court proceedings, stating that it goes against the principles of transparency and fairness in the legal system. He emphasized that court proceedings should be open and honest, and that the use of sealed covers should be limited only to cases where it is necessary to maintain confidentiality. In the context of a pension payment case, he questioned the need for secrecy, and argued that the sealed cover procedure should be put to an end as it contradicts the basic principles of fair justice. He also raised concerns that if this practice is allowed in the Supreme Court, it may be followed by the High Courts as well. The Attorney General had argued that there were sensitive issues involved, but the CJI maintained that transparency should be upheld as much as possible in court proceedings.
In addition, the Supreme Court has revealed that the Union Government has put forth a proposal stating that out of the 25 lakh pensioners who are eligible for the OROP scheme, 4 lakhs do not qualify. The total number of pensioners to be paid under the scheme is around 21 lakhs, with the Union Government allocating 6 lakhs for the payment of their entire dues. These 6 lakhs will be given to the families of those who have lost their breadwinners and to those who have received gallantry awards. The payment will be made in a lump sum on or before April 30th. Additionally, the Court stated that the Union Government has proposed to pay the dues of pensioners over the age of 70 within a period of 4-5 months, while the remaining arrears will be paid in three installments by March 2024.
