Agitated ex-servicemen on Saturday met Manohar Parrikar to discuss modalities of government's proposal for resolution of the issue but they said they won't compromise on their key demands.
The implementation of One Rank One Pension (OROP) has been formally announced by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar.
'One Rank One Pension' scheme is calls for uniform pension payouts according to the rank, held by military personnel at the time of retirement, with the same length of service.
Agitated ex-servicemen on Saturday met Manohar Parrikar on Saturday to discuss modalities of government's proposal for resolution of the issue but they said they won't compromise on their key demands.
Major General Satbir Singh (retd) said that the government has accepted OROP but the revision issue remains a sticking point.
The armed forces made it clear that no senior should get lesser pension than a junior at any time.
Singh is against government's decision of considering leaving the veterans who get disability pension out of the OROP scheme.
In the press conference, these are major points that were announced. Veterans were in conflict with most of these decisions made by the government:
1. Government announced that OROP will be implemented from July 1, 2014 and the base year would be 2013.
-- The veterans objected to this decision and said that it should be implemented from April 1, 2014 instead of July 1.
2. The estimated cost to implement OROP will be between Rs 8,000 crore to Rs 10,000 crore.
3. The government said pension of ex-servicemen will be revised every five years.
-- The veterans opposed this decision, asking for a pension revision every two years.
4. Re-fixed pension will be the average of minimum and maximum pension in 2013.
-- This decision was contradicted by the veterans as well.
5. The government announced that a one-member judicial committee will be constituted. This committee will be responsible of giving reports on equalisation period in 6 months.
-- The veterans asked for a five-member judicial committee to be constituted. Out of the five members, three of them should be army veterans i.e ex-servicemen.
6. The government announced that personnel who retire voluntarily will not be covered under OROP scheme.
-- Veterans strongly opposed this decision; they called for every person in the army to be a beneficiary under the OROP scheme.
7. OROP arrears will be paid in four half-yearly instalments was accepted.
8. Those drawing pensions above the average will be protected, is also one of the announcements made by the government.
9. The government also said that soldiers who have died naturally during war will be a beneficiary of the OROP scheme and they will get the usual pension.
10. All widows including war widows will be paid arrears in one instalment.
Major General Singh said, if their concept is not met, then they will reject scheme and continue fighting for it.
He said, "If (the) government agrees to our concept, we are open. If (the) concept is met, we can think and discuss. If (the) concept is not met, then we will reject it."
"According to us, (the) government has accepted one of our demands and rejected six...At this point, we cannot withdraw the agitation based on these details," he added.
(With Agencies)
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 "Major General Satbir Singh (retd) with other ex-servicemen and Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar")
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