THE MUCH AWAITED RAJYA SABHA PETITION COMMITTEE REPORT ON GRANT OF OROP
Jai Hind
By Courtesy : "REPORT MY SIGNAL"
EMAIL 345/2011 - 20 DEC 2011
Dear veterans,
1. The Rajya Sabha Petition Committee for grant of OROP has tabled its report today at noon (19 Dec 11), which is enclosed.
2. We thank the Petition Committee members who have strongly recommended the grant of OROP immediately. The Committee has also not agreed to the contention put up by Govt. for denying OROP to the soldiers.
3. Above all, we thank Shree Rajeev Chandrasekhar for presenting the Petition on OROP in the Rajya Sabha.
4. Return of medals by veterans, which was initiated by IESM, finds a special mention in the report. The Committee is of the view that our defence personnel should not feel alienated to such an extent again that they are forced to surrender their hard-earned medals in this manner to exhibit their discontent with the Government policies.
5. When you read the report, you will find mention of Power Point Presentation and the aspects covered in the PPP have been mentioned in the report. This is to inform you that IESM was the only ESM organisation, which had made the PPP. Most of the issues raised by IESM have been included in the report. We do recognise the fact that it is the joint effort by all ESM organisations, which ensured that the Committee agreed to and strongly recommend the grant of OROP.
6. We hope, the Govt. honours the recommendations of the Petition Committee and grants the OROP immediately.
7. If the Govt. still does not sanction the OROP, the Protest Movement will be very strongly intensified. We will continue our struggle peacefully and in a dignified manner until justice is granted to the soldiers.
With Kind Regards,
Jai Hind
Yours Sincerely,
Maj Gen (Retd) Satbir Singh, SM
Vice Chairman Indian ESM Movement
Mobile: 9312404269, 0124-4110570
Email : satbirsm@yahoo.com
Mobile: 9312404269, 0124-4110570
Email : satbirsm@yahoo.com
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By Courtesy : "REPORT MY SIGNAL"
EMAIL 345/2011 - 20 DEC 2011
Dear Colleagues,
ReplyDeleteThis is to wish all the Veterans and their families a Merry Christmas. May your life be joyous and fulfilling?
I met the Defence Minister today. The two main issues discussed were:
1. OROP - Petitions Committee Report The MoD has not yet received copy of the report; he called up his staff to obtain it from the Parliament. (I had carried a soft copy and gave it to his office later). I expressed apprehension that while processing the report, officialdom may place some hurdles. Some of these obstacles, on which I forewarned him, could be:
· ‘If we give OROP to the Defence Forces, others would also demand it thus raising the financial burden manifold’. This line of thought has already been preempted and checkmated by the Petitions Committee themselves. I further highlighted that in the past whenever Defence-specific benefits were given – such as Rank Pay, MSP – there was no protest or a call for similar benefits from civilian employees.
· ‘The Defence Forces pensioners seeking OROP would demand its applicability from 1.1.2006 and the cost of arrears would be unacceptable’. I gave the example of the Madan Lal Khurana led Parliamentary Standing Committee that in 2003 had computed the cost of grant of OROP as 613.78 Crore. However, while processing the report the bureaucracy pointed out that the pensioners would seek arrears from 1996 and the cost would be unacceptable. I assured the Minister that the IESM is basically pursuing the acceptance of concept of OROP and would accept its applicability prospectively from the date of issue of government orders.
· ‘Since it is already accepted that the Defence Forces would have a separate pay commission from Seventh Central Pay Commission onwards, OROP could be deferred till that time’. I categorically stated that this would tantamount to merely delaying the decision and would not be acceptable to the ESM and their struggle would further intensify. I reiterated that the Petitions Committee report also makes the same point by seeking OROP at the earliest and a separate pay commission for Defence Forces from next CPC.
The Minister noted all the above. However, since the MoD has not received the report, he made no comments.
2. Enhancement of Widows Pension. The Minister himself touched upon this point and again clarified – what he had told me on telephone on 23 November 2011 - that the Defence Ministry has already cleared this and the case is now with the Finance Ministry. While thanking him I also requested him to use his good offices and pursue the case with the Finance Ministry. He promised he would. On my seeking, he disclosed that the expenditure involved is about 150 or 160 Crores.
Best regards,
Lt Gen Raj Kadyan
Chairman IESM