Bhiwani (Haryana): Congress vice Prsident Rahul Gandhi and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal were prominent among others who attended the funeral of Ex-Armyman Ram Kishan Grewal, who committed suicide by consuming poison on Tuesday night in New Delhi protesting against the poor implementation of the One-rank-one-Pension scheme bythe Union Government.
The Delhi Chief Minister delared the deceased ex-serviceman as a martyr and announced ₹ 10 million relief under the Delhi Govenrment policy for his family. Haryana Minister Anil Vij was quick to react and he reportedly said that Ram Kishan Grewal cannot be called a martyr since he did not die fighting for the country. Vij’s reaction notwithstanding, Krishan Lal Panwar, the transport minister of Haryana, tpday morning announced a compensation of ₹ 1 million to the Grewal family and also promised a job to one member of his family.
On the OROP issue, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar today went public saying “only 1 lakh (100,000) ex-servicemen have remain to be covered fully under the OROP scheme”. There are some technical issued relating to paper-work that are holding up the matter but things would be sorted out within a month or two, he added.
In Patna, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today expressed grief over the suicide committed by the army veteran on the issue of OROP and lashed out at the Modi government.
“The incident reflects the Centre’s ‘double standard’ towards soldiers,” Nitish said in his statement.
On the detention of Rahul Gandhi twice and also the Delhi Chief Minister by the Police as they tried to meet the family of the deceased Army JCO, Nitish said in his statement: “The action taken by Delhi police on the issue cannot be justified.”
Bhopal: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today paid tributes to martyrs who have laid down their life fighting for the nation.
The PM was addressing a huge rally held at the imposing Lal Parade Grounds here to mark the inauguration of a war memorial for martyrs built by Madhya Pradesh Government.
The Prime Minister said that Bhopal’s ‘Shaurya Smarak’ (War Memorial) will be a temple and sourcei of inspiration for coming generations.
Paying tributes to the valour of the soldiers, Modi said they fight to protect our borders. Our forces inspire patriotism. The armed forces don’t speak, but just act.
The Prime Minister said that the NDA government has fulfilled the ‘one rank one pension promise.. We are proud to have delivered on this promise.
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today cleared the doubts on the One Rank One Pension (OROP) issue and declared that the defence veterans who who retired prematurely will be entitled to OROP.
The Prime Minister made this announcement at a rally he addressed in Faridabad on Sunday – a day after Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar announced the Government’s decision to implement the OROP scheme and said that the veterans who took voluntary retirement would not be covered under this scheme.
The Prime Minister pulled up the Congress and said that justice has been done with regard to the ex-servicemen’s demand for OROP pending for more than 40 years
The veterans sitting on strike at Jantar Mantar here have welcomed the Government’s decision on OROP but rejected the provision to keep the veterans, who retire voluntarily, out of the ambit of the scheme and announced that their protest would continue.
In the meanwhile, Major General (retired) Satbir Singh told reporters that their strike would continue if the Government failed to accept their four-point demands, including equalisation of pension.
Union Minister for Defence Manohar Parrikar announcing the One Rank One Pension scheme for the Ex-Servicemen, at South Block, in New Delhi on September 05, 2015. The Minister of State for Planning (Independent Charge) and Defence Rao Inderjit Singh, the three Service Chiefs, General Dalbir Singh, Admiral R.K. Dhowan and Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha and the Defence Secretary G. Mohan Kumar are also seen.
New Delhi: The BJP-led NDA Government today announced the One Rank One Pension scheme for the Ex-Servicemen with the condition that personnel who voluntarily retire will not be covered under the OROP scheme.
The protestng veterans have expressed satisfaction at the announcement but at the same time rejected the decision to exclude those retiring voluntarily. Consequently, they will carry forward the agitation. Major Gen (Retd) Satbir Singh, on behalf of the veterans sitting on strike at Jantar Mantar here, said:
“We don’t accept the decision not to give OROP benefits to those who have taken voluntary retirement. This is a big setback. 40% of retired defence officials get pension. Not including them in OROP is unjust to them. Whoever gets pension (even if premature retirement) should get OROP. Bureaucracy introduced this, this is not acceptable to us.”
The OROP announcement was made by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar here today.
The following is the statement of the Defence Minister:
“Government of India respects its Defence Forces and Ex-Servicemen for their valour, patriotism and sacrifices. The Government is proud of their devotion to duty and bravery. Our forces, besides vigilantly and gallantly defending the nation, have displayed exemplary standards of courage and bravery in natural calamities, law and order situations and other difficult circumstances.
The issue of “One Rank One Pension” (OROP) has been pending for nearly four decades. It is a matter of deep anguish that the various governments remained ambivalent on the issue of OROP. In February 2014, the then Government stated that OROP would be implemented in 2014-15, but did not specify what OROP would be, how it would be implemented or how much it would cost. An estimated Rs. 500 crore provided for OROP in the budget presented in February 2014 by the then government was not based on any thorough analysis. It is pertinent to mention that the then Minister of State for Defence in 2009 had, in reply to a question, informed Parliament that there are administrative, technical and financial difficulties in implementing OROP. It is for these reasons that the present government took some time to fulfil its promise.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has, on various occasions, reiterated the Government’s commitment to implement OROP for Ex-Servicemen under military pension. As stated above, the previous government has estimated that OROP would be implemented with a budget provision of a mere Rs. 500 crore. The reality, however, is that to implement OROP, the estimated cost to the exchequer would be Rs. 8,000 to 10,000 crore at present, and will increase further in future.
The Government held extensive consultations with experts and Ex-Servicemen. The main argument for OROP is that the Defence personnel retire early and thus are not able to get the benefits of serving till normal retirement age. Despite the huge fiscal burden, given its commitment to the welfare of Ex-Servicemen, the Government has taken a decision to implement the OROP.
In simple terms, OROP implies that uniform pension be paid to the Armed Forces personnel retiring in the same rank with the same length of service, regardless of their date of retirement. Future enhancements in the rates of pension would be automatically passed on to the past pensioners. This implies bridging the gap between the rate of pension of current and past pensioners at periodic intervals.
Under this definition, it has been decided that the gap between rate of pension of current pensioners and past pensioners will be bridged every 5 years.
Under the OROP Scheme:
The benefit will be given with effect from 1 July 2014. The present government assumed office on 26 May 2014 and therefore, it has been decided to make the scheme effective from a date immediately after.
Arrears will be paid in four half-yearly instalments. All widows, including war widows, will be paid arrears in one instalment.
To begin with, OROP would be fixed on the basis of calendar year 2013.
Pension will be re-fixed for all pensioners retiring in the same rank and with the same length of service as the average of minimum and maximum pension in 2013. Those drawing pensions above the average will be protected.
Personnel who voluntarily retire will not be covered under the OROP scheme.
In future, the pension would be re-fixed every 5 years.
It is estimated that the expenditure on arrears alone would be ten to twelve thousand crores of rupees. Apart from the fact that the previous government had provided for only Rs. 500 crore in the budget, it is noteworthy that the Koshiyari Committee had accepted the estimate of Rs. 235 crore as additional financial burden to implement OROP. The present government has accepted OROP in true spirit without being constrained by these inaccurate estimates.
OROP is a complex issue. A thorough examination of interests of retirees of different periods and different ranks is needed. The inter-service issues of the three Forces also require consideration. This is not an administrative matter alone. Therefore, it has also been decided that a One Member Judicial Committee would be constituted which will give its report in six months.
Prime Minister Shri Modi has fulfilled his commitment and approved OROP for Armed Forces personnel. Ministry of Defence will soon issue detailed Government Order.”
The ex-servicemen sitting on strike at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar said that Centre’s decision to deny OROP benefits to those who have taken voluntary retirement is not acceptable to them.
Major Gen (Retd) Satbir Singh response to the announcement is as follows:
It is good what government has announced on OROP, we are satisfied
We don’t accept the decision not to give OROP benefits to those who have taken voluntary retirement. This is a big setback. 40% of retired defence officials get pension. Not including them in OROP is unjust to them. Whoever gets pension (even if premature retirement) should get OROP. Bureaucracy introduced this, this is not acceptable to us.
We reject the one-member judicial commission announced by the defence minister. We asked for a 5-member commission under the defence minister comprising three ex-servicemen, one serving serviceman and one member from the government’s side. The six month term is unacceptable. We want a 5-member panel that will submit its report within a month.
The defence minister agreed to one point and rejected the other 6.
