Hello, Warriors!, This Janmashtami and Teacher’s Day has bought some good news for the protesting ex-servicemen-the implementation of OROP. Prime Minister Narendra Modi promised during his Independence Day speech to deliver One Rank One Pension (OROP) for retired defence personnel, and now defence minister Manohar Parrikar has fulfilled that pledge. This is a great moment for jawans and officers, fulfilling a justified demand of veterans that was outstanding for 42 years.
With the implementation of this long-pending scheme, here’s all that you need to know about One Rank, One Pension:
- The OROP scheme had been a long-standing demand of the over two million ex-servicemen of India. It seeks to ensure that a uniform pension is paid to the defence personnel retiring in the same rank with the same length of service, irrespective of their date of retirement.
- As of now, the date of retirement determined the amount of pension. With each Pay Commission coming up with its recommendations every 10 years, the military veterans who retire early, received less pension as compared to those who retired later with the same rank and length of service.
- Currently, all pre-2006 pensioners receive lesser pension than not only their counterparts but also their juniors. This means that an officer who retired before 2006 recieves less pension than that of his juniors and jawans who retired after 2006.
- The scheme is estimated to cost around Rs. 8,600 crore – Rs 10,000 crore initially and subsequently several crore rupees annually.
- The demand for the implementation of the One Rank One Pension scheme had led to a massive protest on 8 February 2009, when more than 300 retired soldiers of varying ranks had marched to the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi and had returned medals won in combat and for distinguished service as they sought equal pension for each rank.
- In the same year, the Supreme Court, in the case of Union of India & Maj Gen SPS Vains & Others had directed the center to implement OROP asap and had ruled that “no defence personnel senior in rank could get a lower pension than his junior irrespective of the date of retirement, and that similarly placed officers of the same rank should be given the same pension irrespective of the date of retirement,”.
- However, it still took five years for the government to recognise this demand made by the military veterans. In February 2014, the government accepted the long-standing demand of ex-servicemen for the One Rank One Pension scheme and had allocated Rs 500 crore to the Defence Pension Account for the implementation of the scheme.
- In the July 2014 Budget, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had also announced an allocation of Rs 1000 crore for this scheme. In December 2014, Parrikar had said that the OROP will be implemented in the defence forces before the next Budget.
- Miffed over the delay in the roll-out of the scheme for the armed forces, 1971 war veteran Wing Commander (Retd) Suresh Karnik and Wing Commander (Retd) KV Bopardikar on Thursday had boycotted a gallantry award function in Pune attended by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar.
- After several protests and demands, the Manmohan Singh government towards its fag-end had agreed in principle to clear the scheme in 2013. Realising the importance of correcting the wrong, the Narendra Modi government and the prime minister himself gave renewed hope to the veterans by announcing the implementation of the OROP scheme “as soon as possible”. Finally, on 5th September, 2015, the government had implemented the OROP scheme.
- Ex-servicemen drawing pensions will benefit from the OROP scheme, especially those who retired before 2006. Why? Because at present, pensioners who retired before 2006 draw less pension than their counterparts and even their juniors. The scheme will benefit all three services – air force, navy and army.
- However, all the demands of veterans were not met with the implementation of OROP which include:
- Effective from April 1, 2014 as against July 1, 2014.
- Base year for fixing pension to be 31st March, 2014 against the govt’s decision for 2013 calender year.
- Pension to be refixed every 2 years as against every 5 years.
- 3-member judicial panel to examine complex issues and submit report within 1 month whereas government has fixed 1-member and the time period is six months.
- The veterans still continue the protest to meet their full demand after breaking their fast unto death on 5th September, 2015. They look after the implementation of all their demands.
(Source: Reports)
