The approximate additional expenditure on pension outflow on account of rolling out OROP is about Rs 8,000 crore.
In a key step towards the implementation of the one-rank, one-pension (OROP) scheme, a high-level meeting of ministers and senior officials of the Ministries of Defence and Finance was held Wednesday to draft a joint proposal, sources said.
This comes in the wake of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s assurance that his government would roll out OROP soon. Modi made the promise during his monthly radio telecast, Mann Ki Baat, Sunday. Despite this, ex-servicemen had refused to call off their proposed nationwide protest, scheduled for June 14.
Sources said that senior officials of both ministries made a presentation to Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on issues related to OROP.
Sources said the discussions were supposed to be held on two levels. First, the two ministers would sit and decide the larger framework under which OROP can be rolled out. Based on the consensus reached between them, senior officials were supposed to decide on the financial liability aspects.
“The meeting was held to arrive at a consensus between the two ministries. Then, specific areas that need further deliberation by the two ministries were supposed to be earmarked. The idea is to give a realistic timeline for OROP rollout,” a senior government official, who did not wish to be named, said.
The approximate additional expenditure on pension outflow on account of rolling out OROP is about Rs 8,000 crore.
Under the scheme being demanded by servicemen, a uniform pension would be paid to military personnel who retire with the same rank after serving for the same duration, irrespective of the date of retirement. Most officers retire in their early 50s, while a few become Lt-Generals, Air Marshals or Vice-Admirals and go on to serve till 60.
Implementation of the scheme was part of the BJP’s election manifesto and was mentioned in the first presidential speech made by Pranab Mukherjee while addressing the Parliament. The NDA government has faced flak from ex-servicemen for the delay in implementation, especially since groups representing former servicemen supported the BJP during the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.
First Published on: June 4, 2015 4:23 am
One rank, one pension: Group of ex-servicemen to sit on relay-hunger strike
Press Trust of India | New Delhi
June 3, 2015 Last Updated at 20:13 IST
A group of ex-servicemen have decided to go on relay-hunger strike from June 15 demanding implementation of 'One Rank One Pension', notwithstanding an appeal from Army chief Dalbir Singh Suhag to postpone it. The group led by Maj Gen Satbir Singh (Retd) met Suhag today at the Army Headquarters.
"We met him requesting to use his good office to convey to the government that there is no multiple definition of OROP as as been said by various people from the government," Singh told PTI.
He said that the Army chief is not only responsible for the welfare of the serving personnel but also the ex-servicemen.
Singh said that the ex-servicemen will hold a protest rally on June 15 and will undertake a relay hunger strike from next day.
"The Army chief suggested if we could postpone it. We told him that we will go ahead with our plans as it is not against any government or person but only to highlight the injustice being done against us," he said.
One rank, one pension scheme has been a long-standing demand of nearly three million ex-servicemen in the country.
It seeks to ensure that a uniform pension is paid to defence personnel who retire at the same rank with the same length of service, irrespective of their date of retirement.
Vowing to address the "vexed" issue of OROP, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had on May 31 sought "some time" from the ex-servicemen.
Modi said the issue is not as simple as he had thought but much more "vexed" as "problems" have been added to it over the years.
Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar today said the issue of OROP is progressing very rapidly but some patience is required.
EX-SERVICEMEN MAHA SANGRAM RALLY
FROM 1000H TO 1400H ON 14 JUNE 15
AT JANTAR MANTAR NEW DELHI
EX-SERVICMEN ARE DISAPPOINTED WITH NDA GOVERNMENT.
OH ! - YOU SAID ''OROP''
1. MANY PROMISES ARE MADE DURING ELECTIONS, EVERY PROMISE CAN NOT BE FULFILLED, SCALE DOWN YOUR EXPECTATIONS--- JAITLY ON OROP
2. I AM PERSONALLY IN FAVOUR OF OROP BUT BUREAUCRATS DON'T WANT OROP TO BE GIVEN TO THE DEFENCE SERVICES....MMS AS PM
3. OROP-WE ARE HERE FOR 5 YEARS- MODI AS PM (IT MEANS IT MAY TAKE UPTO 4 YEARS MORE TO IMPLEMENT OROP I.E. APRIL 2019)
4. ''....Finance Minister finds the cost of implementation of OROP not commensurate to the political benefits therefrom.”--------Congress
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