New Delhi, Jan 3 (IANS): Defence Minster Manohar Parrikar on Tuesday said that around 20 lakh pensioners have been paid the benefits of One Rank One Pension so far, and more than 99 per cent of cases will be settled by January-end.

"So far, we have already paid the benefits to more than 19,70,000 pensioners. Around 68,000 pension cases were in scrutiny in the month of December. The targeted time schedule was end of December and 13,000 cases are sent to pension dispersing authority," Parrikar said at a press conference.

"With that I think almost 99 per cent of the eligible cases will be settled probably by January. One per cent is not being able to trace them, probably dead," the minister said.

Parrikar said he has "instructed all the agencies to go and find out such cases".

"Rs 6,300 crore has already been dispersed as arrears and the current payments are ongoing for the current period. Total back arrears will be around 10,800 crore of which 6,300 crore has been disbursed," he said.

OROP for retired armed forces personnel was announced on September 5, 2015.

The scheme took 2013 as the base year to calculate pensions and date of implementation was July 1, 2014. The period for review was kept at five years.