Former Service Chiefs' Letter to PM on OROP
http://www.ndtv.com/india-news/full-text-of-former-service-chiefs-letter-to-pm-on-orop-1208068?utm_source=taboola
Ten
former defence chiefs have written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressing
concern at the delay in implementing One Rank One Pay or OROP and also severely
criticising the police action on veterans on protest at Delhi's Jantar
Mantar on the eve of Independence Day.
Among those who have sent the open letter to the PM are seven former Army chiefs -
General VN Sharma, General Shankar Roy Choudhary, General S Padmanabhan,
General NC Vij, General JJ Singh, General Deepak Kapoor and General Bikram
Singh - two former Air Force chiefs - Air Chief Marshal NC Suri and Air Chief
Marshal SP Tyagi - and a former Navy chief, Admiral Madhvendera Singh.
This is the full text of their letter:
We, the Former Chiefs of the three Defence Services are deeply perturbed
and distressed by the highhanded treatment of our veterans on 14
August 2015 at Jantar Mantar. These veterans have been on a peaceful
demonstration at this venue and have been trying to make the Government hear
their voice since 12 June 2015. We unequivocally condemn the action by the
Police and urge the
Government to investigate and take immediate action.
This
indiscretion on the part of the Police has seriously impacted the pride and
morale of all ranks of the three Services and the Veterans. It is pertinent to
mention that these veterans are the same soldiers, who have displayed
unflinching loyalty towards the Constitution and the Nation during their
service and still remain motivated to die for a noble cause. Unfortunately
their dignity and pride today stand scarred and is a cause for serious concern.
We
had earlier not approached the Hon'ble Prime Minister as we had full faith
in the announcements made by our senior political leadership from time to time.
We were also hopeful that the announcement of the implementation of the OROP
would be made to the Nation on Independence Day. Regrettably this has not
happened. Also, the highhanded attitude of the Police on 14 August has prompted
us to raise this issue to your esteemed office.
There
is only one definition of "One Rank One Pension" and that has been
accepted both by the current and previous Parliaments and also by the Raksha
Mantri in the presence of the Veterans. This is "uniform pension to be
paid to the Armed Forces personnel retiring in the same rank with same length
of service irrespective of their date of retirement". Simultaneously,
'Annual Review System' would be required to be put in place for equalization of
pension of the past and current retirees.
Raksha
Mantri had also after consultations with the Services Headquarters
representatives, Veterans and MoD Officials approved a Rs. 8300 Cr -
Model in Feb 2014 based on formula of maximum pension data for each rank and
Service as on Financial Year 2014.
The
often quoted technical difficulties without ever being specified and discussed
are thus bewildering. This is simple arithmetic based on the Standard
Pension Tables of the Govt. These delays are construed to be only with a
view to bring in changes in the parameters and dilute the entitlements, which
will be grossly unjust and unacceptable.
We have full faith in our Political Leadership but their inability
to clinch the issue leaves us dismayed. We stand steadfastly by the side of our
colleagues and
fully support their just cause. Our silence so far was due
to the need to observe propriety. As much as the OROP, the respect and dignity
of the soldier is at stake here and let it be known that we have extreme
concern for the Veteran's long pending demands. We would strongly urge the
Government to settle this issue expeditiously and in an urgent time frame. Any further delays, in
our considered view, will be at the cost of damaging the pride of the veterans
and lowering the morale of the Armed Forces. The Nation can ill afford such an imbroglio.
Another News Report from NDTV
Two officers start “Fast-unto-death”
Ten former service chiefs have
written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on One Rank One Pension or
OROP, even as two retired Armymen began an indefinite hunger strike at Delhi's
Jantar Mantar in protest against the delay in implementing the scheme for
pension parity.Col Pushpinder Singh (retd) of
the 3 Grenadiers and Havilder Major Singh (retd) of 3 Sikh Light Infantry have
spurned all requests to reconsider their "fast-unto-death."
In an open letter to the PM, meanwhile, seven
former Army chiefs, two former Air Force chiefs and a former Naval chief have
said they are, "deeply perturbed and distressed" by the
"highhanded police action" on protesting veterans at Jantar Mantar on
the eve of Independence Day, during a drive to clear the area of protesters.
"We unequivocally condemn the action by the Police and urge
the Government to investigate and take immediate action," the former chiefs
said.
"This indiscretion on the part of the Police has seriously
impacted the pride and morale of all ranks of the three Services and the
Veterans," the chiefs wrote, adding, "Their dignity and pride today
stand scarred and is a cause for serious concern." They also
regretted that the Prime Minister had not announced the implementation of OROP
in his address to the nation on Independence Day.
At Jantar Mantar, the two veterans on hunger strike said they were
forced to escalate matters after PM Modi failed to announce OROP in his speech.
"It was a demoralising factor for us," said Col Singh.
Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar yesterday asked the veterans for
four to five days more for a final resolution of OROP, said to be stuck on when
the scheme should be implemented from. The ex-serviceman now want a meeting
with PM Modi. For two decades,
ex-servicemen have demanded the same pension as people of the same
rank retiring now. At present, an officer who retired many years ago is paid
far less than someone of junior rank retiring now.
http://www.ndtv.com/india-news/two-army-veterans-ready-for-indefinite-fast-to-push-orop-demand-1208049
It is a national shame that these service chiefs have now woken up suddenly to realize that injustice is being done to the soldiers. Where were their concern when they were in service.My dear sirs you are also are used cartridges like any veterans.No government will listen to you when you are out of power.Thank you all for the nice sentiments
ReplyDelete