Col LK Anand Retd
As generally expected when the "BREAKING NEWS" was being flashed by the media on TV Channels, the announcement of grant of OROP, has turned out to be damp squib and a major act of deception upon the Ex-Servicemen pensioners, committed by this government, once again under the guidance of unsympathetic Indian bureaucracy. By giving this so called relief to the pensioners, the government has done nothing exclusive on OROP, but has only rectified a major anomaly, at this belated stage, not of its own accord or on the basis of the recommendations of the Committee of Secretaries (COS), but on the basis of a number of AFT/Court Judgements delivered over a period of time, in favour of some ex-servicemen who had represented their cases against this anomaly. Unfortunately, no action had been taken by the concerned functionaries for implementing these AFT and Court judgements, all this while. This anomaly presumably was a deliberate mischief done by the Babus, while notifying fixation of ex-servicemen's pensions on finalisation of the 6th Central Pay Commission’s (6CPC) report.
As generally expected when the "BREAKING NEWS" was being flashed by the media on TV Channels, the announcement of grant of OROP, has turned out to be damp squib and a major act of deception upon the Ex-Servicemen pensioners, committed by this government, once again under the guidance of unsympathetic Indian bureaucracy. By giving this so called relief to the pensioners, the government has done nothing exclusive on OROP, but has only rectified a major anomaly, at this belated stage, not of its own accord or on the basis of the recommendations of the Committee of Secretaries (COS), but on the basis of a number of AFT/Court Judgements delivered over a period of time, in favour of some ex-servicemen who had represented their cases against this anomaly. Unfortunately, no action had been taken by the concerned functionaries for implementing these AFT and Court judgements, all this while. This anomaly presumably was a deliberate mischief done by the Babus, while notifying fixation of ex-servicemen's pensions on finalisation of the 6th Central Pay Commission’s (6CPC) report.
This amount which should actually have been released by the government at the time of 6CPC on 1.1.2006 itself, was announced to have been granted now, to the aggrieved ex-servicemen, in the garb of OROP, in well publicised media reports on 24 September 2012. In so doing, the government also misled the nation to believe, that it has accepted ex-servicemen’s long pending demand of OROP. Not surprisingly, the government has made this relief, effective from a prospective date, which confirms their unjust mode towards the services and is taking pleasure in denying the benefits of the arrears to the pensioners, from 1.1.2006, the date when it actually became due, thus saving an insignificant chunk, to feed some more scams, at the cost of the aggrieved pensioners.
From this misleading announcement, it is now clear that this Ex-bureaucrat Prime Minister's UPA-2 government, generally ill advised by inconsiderate bureaucracy, would continue to heap injustices upon the ex soldiers of the country in times to come, and would never deliver proper justice, in spite of recommendations given by various committees including parliamentary, for acceptance and grant of OROP, a justified demand of veterans, for the past nearly thirty years. A number of promises were made by various political parties including by some leaders of the present ruling government, before the last general elections, but unfortunately none of the promises have been kept.
Just before the Independence Day the PM ordered a COS to look into the demand of OROP besides some other anomalies arising out of implementation of 6CPC report for the ex-servicemen and the report was to be submitted by 8 August 2012. Was it not, inappropriate for our Hon’ble Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh to appoint a COS only, to look into the demands of ex soldiers, without including any representative of the services or the ex-servicemen? A request made by the three services chiefs to include services representatives, unfortunately, was also turned down and it was left to the COS only, to ponder over the grievances of the soldiers, to decide the fate. In view of their past history on the affairs and welfare of the soldiers, which has led to a systematic degradation of the Indian Defence forces over the years, no justice was any way expected by the soldiers, from this COS, and undoubtedly they lived upto their expectations.
Another issue which defies justification, is handing over of OROP demand of ex-servicemen, to the COS over the heads of various parliamentary committees, the latest one being under the Chairmanship of Rajya Sabha MP Shri BS Koshyari. The Koshyari Committee had strongly recommended the grant of OROP to the Ex Soldiers in the report submitted to the Upper house of the Parliament on 19 December 2011. I would like some legal luminaries to enlighten me, whether, instead of discussing the recommendations of the parliamentary committee, headed by Shri BS Koshyari, in both the houses of the Parliament and handing over the demand of OROP, to the COS for their consideration before implementing it, hasn't our Hon’ble Prime Minister, committed an impropriety and a breach of privilege of the parliamentarians? Under these circumstances, can it not be said, that members of the parliamentary committee have been insulted, degraded, humiliated and superseded at the behest of the PM himself, or some incompetent government advisors and functionaries?
This inconsequential and inaccurate announcement of grant of OROP (which in no way is anywhere near OROP as demanded by the ex soldiers) and falsely conveying it, to be fulfilment, of a long outstanding demand, has certainly, misled the highly expectant soldiers community which is also greatly disappointed and annoyed, especially, since they were keenly awaiting a very fruitful announcement from the PM. The whole issue has now turned out to be a laughing matter, not only for them but also for the entire Indian public and staunch supporters of the defence services.
Will the Government of India, at least now, not bluff, mislead, misinterpret and ignore the justified demand of OROP anymore, and grant it fairly and squarely to all the ex-servicemen immediately, as strongly recommended by the Rajya Sabha Parliamentary Committee under the Chairmanship of Shri BS Koshyari, and also to truly and surely stand steadfastly, by the announcement of 24 September 2012?
Col LK Anand Retd
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