Centre wants to dilute OROP conditions: Satbir Singh

The chairman of the Indian Ex- Servicemen Movement (IESM), the government on Wednesday said that the government is attempting to dilute the terms and conditions of the demand for one rank-one pension (OROP) scheme.

Singh said that Tuesday's meeting at Home Minister Rajnath Singh's residence was conducted in a good environment, but nothing positive had come out of it.

"We will continue meeting if government will call us again and try to find out ways, "Singh.

Singh said, We have asked the Defense Minister of India, Manohar Parikkar, to get us a meeting with the Prime Minister of India. But we are yet to get information on the issue of OROP.

"We think the government of India doesn't want to give us the OROP on the proposed conditions of OROP, and, we will not accept it without those conditions. People are determined and want to continue the strike till the Government of India meets the OROP demand." he told.

"We are sad that the Government of India wants to dilute the approved definition of OROP and wants to break the assurance they had given us earlier." Major General Singh said.

No end in sight to OROP deadlock, two more join fast-unto-death at Jantar Mantar

With no end in sight to the deadlock between ex-servicemen and the Narendra Modi government, one more defence veteran, along with the father of a martyr, have joined the fast-unto-death at Jantar Mantar. With this, the total number of those on hunger strike for implementation of One Rank One Pension has gone up to eight.

Those who joined the fast on Wednesday are former Navy personnel Commander AK Sharma and Sanwal Ram Yadav, father of martyr Lance Naik Sunil Kumar Yadav.

The other veterans currently on fast-unto-death are Colonel Pushpender Singh, Havaldar Ashok Chauhan, Havaldar Major Singh, Havaldar Sahib Singh, Major Piar chand and Naik Uday Singh, of which the first two are currently in hospital.

This comes even as the Army veterans, who have been protesting for OROP at Jantar Mantar in the national capital, are likely to reject the government formula and escalate the agitation.

However, more meetings are expected to take place between the representatives of ex-servicemen and the government to discuss the impasse.

Sources said that there are two major bones of contention between the two sides.

The first factor of conflict is the government's offer to fix pension at the 2011 base pay level, which is not acceptable to the ex-servicemen.

The other bone of contention is the demand of ex-servicemen to give a three per cent annual increment, which the government is not willing to accept.

Government sources have now said that in the wake of these differences, an announcement on OROP in the next few days is unlikely.

Reports had earlier said the scheme would be announced on August 28, the 50th anniversary of 1965 war.