IANS/New Delhi
Military veterans yesterday said they would scale up their agitation over implementation of the One Rank One Pension (OROP) scheme if the government’s version diluted their demands.
According to sources, the Modi government has an OROP draft ready, and an announcement may come soon.
The government has readied the draft even as its talks with representatives of the ex-servicemen remain inconclusive, despite attempts by several mediators.
Sources said the government is under pressure over the OROP scheme in the light of the veterans’ protest for its implementation entering its 82nd day and the approaching Bihar assembly polls.
“We will intensify our agitation if the OROP is not in conformity with what we are asking,” Major General Satbir Singh (retd.), chairman of the Indian Ex-Servicemen Movement, said. He, however, adding that they were willing to make minor concessions.
“If any announcement (by the government) is against our interests, we will oppose it,” he added.
Sources say some mediators from the government’s side have approached the ex-servicemen and offered to arrange a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
However, the veterans have insisted that they be provided information on the government’s stand before meeting the prime minister.
The government’s version of the OROP apparently takes 2013 as a base year, and July 2014 as date of implementation, along with provision for review every five year.
This is not acceptable to the veterans who maintain that July 2014 as date of implementation can be acceptable only if the base year is also 2014. They also object to revision after five years, and say they can at the most agree to review every two year.
The veterans say even this would mean that 11% of the seniors, who have retired, would get a lower pension than their juniors for a year.
A key demand of the ex-servicemen is that juniors should not get a higher pension than the seniors at any time.
Another offer made by the veterans is of four revisions between two successive pay commissions, which is 10 years, and then in the 10th year a review by the pay commission.
Earlier in the day, Singh said they had written five times to the prime minister but there had been no response.
“We have written five times to the prime minister seeking a direct meeting,” Singh told the media. “We would like to meet him.”
Addressing retired soldiers at the Jantar Mantar protest venue, Singh said they were fighting against “injustice” and were not against any government or political party.
He pointed out that unlike civil servants, only 1% of military personnel serve up to the age of 60 and 85% retire before the age of 40.
Singh described the Jantar Mantar protest site in the heart of the national capital as a “Sainik parliament”.
