Prime Minister Modi Inspecting Guard of Honour

Prime Minister Modi Inspecting Guard of Honour

Friday, May 29, 2015

DELAY IN ONE RANK ONE PENSION -





(Source- Jottings)

One rank, one pension: Army veterans running out of patience, plan protest rallies

  • Rahul Singh, Hindustan Times, NewDelhi
  •   
  • Updated: May 29, 2015 09:39 IST
  • On Thursday, a 1971 war hero declined to attend a function in Pune where defence minister Manohar Parrikar and Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis were to felicitate him. Wing Commander SD Karnik (retd) decided to boycott the function as there was “no action, talk only” by the government on OROP.
    The pension scheme is aimed at ensuring that retired soldiers of the same rank and the same length of service receive the same pension, irrespective of their date of retirement. The initial corpus of the scheme is estimated to around Rs 8,300 crore.
    Various ex-servicemen groups were hoping that Prime Minister Modi would make an announcement about the implementation of OROP on May 25 during a rally in Mathura to mark the government’s first year in office. The OROP is expected to benefit close to 3 million defence pensioners.
    Major General Satbir Singh (retd), who heads the Indian Ex-servicemen Movement, said, “We will do all we can to lodge our protest over the non-implementation of the OROP despite the PM’s and defence minister’s assurances. We are planning to hold a big rally in Delhi on June 14 followed by hunger strikes across the country.”
    Navy chief Admiral Robin Dhowan asked veterans to be patient, stressing that the government was seized of the matter. Currently, all pre-2006 (the year the 6th pay panel report became effective) pensioners receive lesser pension than not only their counterparts but also their juniors. For instance, a major general who retired in 1995 draws a basic pension of Rs 30,350 but an officer retiring in the same rank after 2006 gets Rs 38,500.
    Similarly, a colonel who retired in 2003 gets Rs 26,150, compared to Rs 34,000 drawn by a colonel who retired this year. The implementation of the scheme is expected to benefit 600,000 widows. Decorated veterans have in the past returned their medals, gone on hunger strikes and signed petitions in blood to draw the government’s attention to the OROP issue.
    The UPA government had in 2009 declared that it had earmarked Rs 2,200 crore annually to improve the pension of jawans, a step it described as partial implementation of the OROP that had benefitted 1.2 million pensioners.
    The OROP proposal was stuck as the defence ministry had to iron out some complex administrative and financial issues. The sticking points in its implementation have been resolved by the defence ministry and the matter is currently being scrutinised by the finance ministry.
    (Source- Hindusthan Times)

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    Tuesday, May 19, 2015

    A year on, ex-servicemen await govt to deliver on OROP promise


    Tribune News Service
    New Delhi, May 17
    Retired veterans of the armed forces say they are awaiting three key promises made to them by the Centre to be fulfilled even as the Narendra Modi-led NDA government is scheduled to complete its first year in office on May 26.
    Maj General Satbir Singh (retd), vice-chairman of the Indian Ex-Servicemen Movement (IESM), today said President Pranab Mukherjee, while addressing the first joint session of Parliament of this government on June 9 last year, had stressed on these three issues.
    The President said: “My government ….will appoint a veterans’ commission; build a national war memorial to honour the gallantry of our soldiers ...and the one rank, one pension (OROP) scheme will be implemented.”

    Sources in the government said the OROP could be formally announced on May 26. Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, who was in Goa today, said the much-awaited OROP for the armed forces was likely to be cleared in a few days.  

    Monday, May 18, 2015

    One Rank One Pension Cleared in Principle, PM Modi to Take Final Call: Sources


    One Rank One Pension Cleared in Principle, PM Modi to Take Final Call: Sources

    New Delhi:  The Centre has in principle cleared the 'One Rank One Pension' scheme for retired armed forces personnel, sources have told NDTV. The government has made a provision for an additional Rs. 8,300 crore for this purpose.

    The scheme, which seeks to ensure that a uniform pension is paid to defence personnel who retire at the same rank with the same length of service, irrespective of their date of retirement, has been a long-standing demand of the over 20 lakh ex-servicemen in the country. Majority of Defence personnel hang up their boots much before 60 years. Also, over the years the disparity in the pension drawn by personnel of same rank who retired for instance a decade ago and those who retire now is substantial.



    Demand for One Rank One Pension has been an emotive issue with defence pensioners for long. And, between 2008- 2010 veterans have on several occasions marched to Rashtrapati Bhavan to return their gallantry medals.

    Sources say once Prime Minister Narendra Modi is back on May 19 from his three-nation tour, a final round of discussions will take place with him. The official announcement is likely to be made later this month, coinciding with the first anniversary celebrations of the NDA government.

    The government has already made it clear that One Rank One Pension will be implemented with effect from April 1, 2014.


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    ON PUBLIC REQUEST THE PUNJAB AND HARYANA HIGH COURT JUDGEMENT IS POSTED AGAIN HERE

    SALARY HIKE TO MPS, ONE RANK, ONE PENSION

    SALARY HIKE TO MPS, ONE RANK, ONE PENSION
    Letter to Hon'ble Prime Minister by Hon'ble M.P.

    Page-2

    Ex-Servicemen return Medals