Notification on OROP may take another month: Defence sources

A government notification implementing 'One Rank One Pension' scheme may take another month, top defence sources said on Wednesday.

"It can take 2-4 weeks more easily because it is quite an extensive issue," the sources said.

Asked if the government will have to wait till the Bihar Assembly polls get over, they said the announcement has already been made and what is now expected is just a formal notification. The government had announced the OROP scheme earlier this month and Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar had said a notification could be expected in a month. However, some of the veterans have objected to the scheme.

They claim that the government has created avoidable confusion by including VRS (Voluntary Retirement Scheme) in their announcement as it does not exist in the defence forces and those who have taken premature retirement must come under OROP.

The ex-servicemen have also objected to the government's taking of the calendar year 2013 instead of financial year 2013-14 for fixing the base. They are also against the formation of a one-man judicial commission and demanded that it should consist three ex-servicemen, one serving officer and a bureaucrat.