New Delhi: The Modi government at the Center has given the green signal to the revision of One Rank One Pension on Friday (December 23). Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur has informed that before this scheme 20.60 lakh pensioners used to get benefits. Now after revision, there have been 25 lakh pensioners. This decision will put a burden of 8,500 crores on the government.

Union Minister Anurag Thakur further said, 'The number of OROP beneficiaries including security personnel retired after 1/7/2014 has reached 25,13,002. Prior to 1/4/2014, this number was 20,60,220.' This will put an additional burden of Rs 8,450 crores on the government. Defense personnel who have taken voluntary retirement after 1/7/2014 will not get this benefit. The Union Minister said that along with the family pensioners, the widows of the soldiers who died in the war and the disabled pensioners will also get the benefit.

Thakur said that it would be implemented from July 1, 2019. The minister said that under this, arrears for the period from July 2019 to June 2022 will also be provided, under which an amount of Rs 23,638.07 crore is made. He said that all the retirees and family pensioners from the defense forces would be benefited from this. Not only this, the Union Cabinet has decided to provide free ration for one year to 81.3 crore poor people under the National Food Security Act. 

Union Food and Public Distribution Minister Piyush Goyal said, 'Under the National Food Security Act, the government gives rice, wheat and coarse grains at the rate of Rs 3, 2 and 1 per kg respectively. But, now the government has decided that it will be completely free till December 2023. This will benefit 81.35 crore people.'

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