New Delhi: Rank One Pension (OROP) scheme will be issued before Diwali, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar today said, just after ex-servicemen announced that they will return their war medals in protest against the delay in implementation of the new pension scheme.
The protesting veterans today said that they will return their medals across the country starting November 9. ‘
"As you are aware, it will be issued before Diwali," Parrikar told reporters here in reply to a question when the official notification on OROP will come out.
The government had on September 5 announced the OROP scheme for the veterans but an official notification was awaited. The government has cited the Model Code of Conduct for the Bihar polls as the reason behind the delay.
Even after government had announced OROP scheme, a section of the veterans had continued their protest citing seven lacunae, including annual equalisation, 2013-14 as the base year among others.
"We have unanimously decided to return our medals across India," Group Captain VK Gandhi, the general secretary of Indian Ex-Servicemen Movement (IESM) said today.
“We will be returning our medals, we will observe black Diwali,” Major General (Retd) Satbir Singh, Chairman IESM, had said.
The agitation of armed forces veterans continued even after the central government announced the OROP scheme on September 5. The veterans have said what government announced is not OROP, but 'One Rank, Five Pension'.
OROP is expected to benefit 2.6 million veterans and over six lakh war widows for parity in pension based on rank and length of service irrespective of the date of retirement.
(With inputs from PTI)
