New Delhi: Government on Saturday issued notification for implementation of One Rank One Pension for ex-servicemen, ensuring equal pension for those who retire on same rank irrespective of the year of retirement.
With the notification, the govt brought OROP into force which will benefit over 25 lakh veterans and war widows.
However, the protesting ex-servicemen rejected the notification, saying their main demands have not been accepted and it has become “one-rank-five-pension.”
“The notification will not be acceptable to the rank and file. It is not One-Rank-One-Pension but One-Rank-Five-Pension,” Maj Gen Satbir Singh (Retd), Chairman of Indian Ex-Servicemen Movement said.
The announcement has come a day after Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar assured the ex-servicemen about OROP implementation before Diwali.
The notification is almost similar to the announcement made by Parrikar on September 5.
To begin with, pension would be re-fixed on the basis of pension of retirees of calendar year 2013 and the benefit will be effective with effect from July 1, 2014.
The veterans had demanded that the period for pension should be financial year 2013-14 and not the calender year.
Also, they wanted April 1 as the effective date instead of July 1.
The notification said that in future, the pension would be re-fixed every 5 years.
However, ex-servicemen had been demanding revision of pension every two years, if not one.
Another key element of the notification is that the armed forces personnel who opt to get discharged on their request would henceforth not get OROP benefits.
”It will be effective prospectively,” Defence Ministry spokesperson Sitanshu Kar tweeted.
(With inputs from PTI)
