01 Sep 2014
Sh. Narendra Modi
Prime Minister
of India
Prime
Minister’s Office (PMO)
New Delhi
-110001
IMPLEMENTATION OF ONE RANK ONE PENSION
OVER DELAYED
Dear
Prime Minister,
This
is in continuation of Indian Ex-Servicemen Movement (IESM) letter dated 14 Aug
2014 and 22 Aug 2014. This is the third
letter, I am writing to you on behalf of the Ex-Servicemen and Defence family
pensioners Fraternity to request you to fulfil your assurances given to them
during your Election Rallies
which were also reflected in the BJP Manifesto.
Mr.
Prime Minister one of our Ex-Servicemen Maj Gen
K M Bhimaya (Retd) visited Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library at
Springfield Illinois and came across a priceless peace of tribute to the US
Army Veterans by the Decatur Review (May 31, 1893). I would like to share with you the excerpts
from the above piece which the General has shared with us. After reading the piece. I am sure you
will feel deep inside, the obligation of the Nation
towards its Martyrs and Living soldiers
both serving and retired and their members of families :-
“Every soldier who placed himself on the deadly altar is as deserving
of credit as if he had died there. The truest way to honor the dead is to
rightly appreciate the living. The returned veteran who is healthy and beyond
need and to whom the nation is largely indebted does not ask charity at the
hands of the government he served, but it is not too much to ask that the
pension laws shall be so perfected and so administered that none of our worthy
comrades and their families shall be left to suffer for the comforts of life.”
Sir,
we were very sure that you at the helm of affairs of the Govt will undo the
injustice done to the Defence Forces by successive Govts for the past 67
years. Our status and inter-se-equations
with other Central Services have been systematically downgraded since 26 Jan
1950. One Rank One Pension as per the
accepted definitions ie “Pensions as on
01.04.2014 of defence personnel will be paid to all past pensioners with same
rank and same years of service and the future enhancements in the rates of
pensions will also be passed on to the past pensioners” as assured by you
starting with Rewari Rally, has not been implemented even six months after its
sanction. The Defence Fraternity is
rather surprised to know that the bureaucrats have as “Red Herring” brought in the hurdle of Finances and are trying to
create confusion by giving a twist to the very definition of OROP. At the time of giving approval to the concept
of OROP and issuing executive orders for the same, it was clearly mentioned
that funds required for the same will be made available. Then, sir, why, the Draft Govt Letter (DGL)
prepared by the Service HQs which has been correctly prepared as per the Govt
executive orders has, not yet been issued?
May
we request you to kindly issue instructions to implement the One Rank One
Pension (OROP) exactly as per the approved definition the earliest please? What
we understand from your policies and manifesto that your Government will ensure
stronger military and would raise the morale of Armed Forces Personnel by
respecting them and giving them their dues. Sir, Armed Forces personnel look up
to the veterans as their future life and see them as their guide and
philosopher. Wellbeing of Ex-servicemen will raise morale of serving soldiers many notches high.
Any
further delay, will cause disillusionment amongst the Ex-Servicemen towards the
BJP and its Govt.
With
regards,
Maj Gen (Retd) Satbir Singh, SM
Chairman IESM
Maj Gen (Retd) Satbir Singh, SM
Chairman IESM
Copy
to
General Dalbir Singh,
Chief of the Army Staff |
For Info pl.
|
Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha, Chief of the Air Staff
& Chairman, Chiefs of Staffs Committee (CoSC), |
-do-
|
Admiral R K Dhowan, Chief of the Naval Staff
|
-do-
|
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