Ex-servicemen today threatened to launch “fast-unto-death” agitation if the government does not remove the “anomalies” in the One Rank, One Pension (OROP) scheme announced by it last week as hundreds of veterans held a 'Sainik Ekta' rally here.
Ex-servicemen during the ‘Sainik Ekta’ rally to press for their demands
regarding the One Rank, One Pension scheme at
Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on Saturday.
The rally at Jantar
Mantar was attended by ex-servicemen from 22 states and five Union Territories,
the organisers claimed.
“We have all
resolved to continue our protest till such time that the government removes the
seven anomalies in the OROP scheme announced by them," said Maj Gen Satbir
Singh (retd), president of Indian Ex-Servicemen Movement, who is spearheading
the agitation since about 90 days.
“Defence Minister
Manohar Parrikar has said a written order on OROP will come out in a month. If
the anomalies are not removed by then, we will resort to fast-unto-death,"
he told PTI.
He said the veterans
have been seeking for an appointment with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to
explain the OROP issue.
“But he said
yesterday that OROP is being given at the expense of the poor people in the
country. We have been deeply hurt and are anguished over this comment,” Singh
said.
A few ex-servicemen
earlier undertook ‘fast-unto-death’ but ended it after government announced
OROP last Saturday.
Satbir Singh's
threat came as hundreds of ex-servicemen participated in a rally here to demand
full implementation of OROP as proposed by them.
However, cracks
appeared in the front of ex-servicemen this week with factions levelling
allegations against each other.
While a section of
the veterans were against holding the 'Sainik Ekta' rally, others feel they
have been let down by the government, which had announced OROP on Saturday
last.
On Wednesday, Lt Gen
Balbir Singh (retd), who heads Indian Ex-Services League, had announced his
decision to exit the front, alleging lack of cohesion and suggesting
politicisation of the agitation.
The front led by
Satbir Singh has rejected the government's version of OROP and has put forward
seven points of dissent.
“The government has
created avoidable confusion by including VRS (Voluntary Retirement Scheme) in
its announcement as it does not exist in the defence forces. However, those who
have taken premature retirement must come under OROP,” Satbir said.
The agitating
veterans have also objected to the government taking the calendar year 2013
instead of financial year 2013-14 for fixing the base.
“The Defence
Minister had earlier assured us that the pensions would be taken from the top
of the pay scales, but now the government seems to have gone to an unknown
concept," he said.
The ex-servicemen
are also opposed to the formation of a one-man judicial commission and demand
that it should be composed of three ex-servicemen, one serving officer and a
bureaucrat.
Also, the deadline
for the commission to come out with a report on the implementation of the OROP
should be one month instead of the six as proposed by the government.
The protesting
veterans have also demanded that the OROP should be independent of the Central
Pay Commission and the concept should be in perpetuity.
Rejecting the
government's proposal of pension revision every five years, Satbir said,
"We had agreed to even two years, but now we seek our original demand of
revision every year." — PTI
http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/nation/orop-veterans-hold-sainik-ekta-rally-at-jantar-mantar/132160.html
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