CHANDIGARH:
More than 10,000 restless ex-servicemen from across the country will hold a
massive protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on February 1 to pressurize the
Centre into keeping its promise on the one rank one pension (OROP) demand.
During the 2014 Lok Sabha election campaign, both the BJP and
Congress had pledged to implement the scheme. But the new government has not
implemented it even after completing 200 days in office. Several ex-servicemen
welfare organizations have come under the banner of Indian Ex-servicemen
Movement (IESM) for the protest.
The veterans are also unhappy over defence minister Manohar
Parrikar recent statement that he would try to implement 80% of OROP.
"It has to be implemented 100% as promised by the Prime
Minister on a number of occasions. Any dilution will not be OROP," said
Major General Satbir Singh (retd), chairman of IESM. He also wants a white
paper from the Centre on OROP, given that Narender Modi had pledged to
implement the scheme in his first election rally at Rewari in September 2013
after he was declared BJP's prime ministerial candidate.
"If it is short of funds, the government should openly say so. We are even ready to accept bonds but give us our 100%," Gen Satbir said.
Brigadier Harwant Singh (retd), president of the all India Defence
Brotherhood, said, "As soldiers, we never thought of performing 80% while
guarding the nation. We are feeling dejected and restless because of the
delay."
Brigadier Kiran Krishan (retd) of IESM said OROP was sanctioned on
February 17, 2014. "Ten months have passed since. The BJP government
enthusiastically promising to implement it had raised our hopes. But the party
seems to be dragging its feet."
In its last budget in February, the UPA government had provisioned
for Rs 500 crore for OROP. The BJP government had announced Rs 1,000 crore in
its interim budget in July. However, army authorities estimate that Rs 5,000
crore would be required, whereas the accounts department of the defence
ministry says Rs 9000 crore would be needed to implement OROP.
Out of 30-lakh ex-servicemen in the country, Punjab alone has
around 3 lakh, Haryana has nearly 2.8 lakh, Himachal Pradesh (HP) has around
two lakh. Around 10,000 retired ex-servicemen live in Chandigarh.
OROP implies uniform pension to personnel retiring on the same
rank with the same length of service irrespective of their date of retirement.
By tthe kind courtesy of The Times of India
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