ONE RANK ONE PENSION (OROP) : MISLEADING STATEMENTS BY RM

General Dalbir Singh                                             
PVSM, UYSM, AVSM, VSM, ADC                              

Chief of the Army Staff 
Integrated HQs of  Ministry of Defence (Army)
South Block, New Delhi-110011

Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha                              
PVSM, AVSM, VM, ADC                                                                            
Chief of the Air Staff & Chairman,

Chiefs of Staffs Committee (CoSC),                                  

Integrated HQs of Ministry of Defence (Air Force)

Vayu Bhawan, New Delhi 110011

Admiral R K Dhowan, PVSM, AVSM, YSM, ADC                                                                           Chief of the Naval Staff                                                                                
Integrated HQs of Ministry of Defence (Navy)             

South Block, New Delhi -110011

ONE RANK ONE PENSION (OROP) : MISLEADING STATEMENTS BY RM

            On behalf of IESM and on my own behalf I wish the New Year Bring Lots of Happiness, Achievements and Glory to you and Service you are honoured to lead.

            I would like to draw your attention to the most important statement of hon’bleRakshaMantri as reported in The Times of India dated 01 Jan 2015 in New Delhi Edition as New Year gift to Armed Forces. Though we are happy he noticed grave deficiencies of important items such as bullet proof jackets and Snow boots to be given to our troops deployed in extreme High Altitude Areas performing life threatening op duties, what shocked us is his statement “only 80% of veterans will get OROP at a cost of Rs 6,000 per annum.”

RM has been making conflicting and questionable statements ever since has taken over.

·         OROP cannot be dynamic in nature. When pay goes up because of increments it cannot be passed on to pensioners. His interview to The Economic Times.

·         80% Satisfaction is what I am aiming to achieve. Even in real life we cannot get 100%. His comments in The Headlines Today conclave in Dec 2014 in New Delhi.

·         Only 80% of veterans will get OROP at a cost of Rs 6,000 per annum. His statement reported by The Times of India dated 01 Jan 2015 at page no 11.

            You know the implication of this statement which I do not find any reason to disbelieve. This means OROP is given to only 80% who are Sepoys and those of 20% who are NCOs, JCOs and Officers will not be given OROP. The bureaucrats have appeared to have sold the idea to break up this Defence fraternity into majority Sepoy group by giving them OROP and isolate minority 20%.

            Pl consider the after effects of this nefarious design of bureaucrats. The serving community will be divided vertically. You will have to compare this with what Mr ArunJaitely told us “Lower your Expectations”

            I am bringing to your notice a famous quote of Sir Wiston Churchill:   “Indian Army is not so much an arm of the executive branch as it is of the Indian people.  Military professionals have an obligation to ensure that the political leaders are counseled and alerted to the needs and necessities of military life. This cannot be done by adhering to the notion that military profession is silent order of monks, isolated from the political realm.”

            There is need for the three serving Chiefs to speak to RM and PM at the earliest to stop this anticipated division  in the  structure of Armed Forces which will seriously and adversely effect the operational efficiency.  Please don’t let that happen in the implementation of OROP. Dear Chiefs you may not be affected today but future generations will face the ill effects of this policy in five to ten years and it will be difficult to reverse the trend at that time.

            You are therefore, requested to jointly and strongly take up the issue with the Govt.  It will be against the SC Judgement where in while adjudicating a case of Armed Forces Veteran said unambiguously that “Either you give a benefit to all or do not give it at all.  You cannot give something to a few and deny the same to others”.  Defence Forces are composite structure and have set ethos, morals and values which must be preserved.  The very fabric of Armed Forces will be broken if OROP is given to some and denied to some when it has been sanctioned by two parliaments with specific definition for All Armed Forces Personnel. 

            I rest my case here and leave judgment to you to do what you want.

            With regards

Maj Gen Satbir Singh, SM (Retd)
Chairman IESM
Mob: +919312404269, 0124-4110570
Email ID: satbirsm@gmail.com