After promising ex-servicemen of One Rank One Pension, Government of India is still in dilemma for the past several years. Estimated expenditure would be around `8,293 crore which the GOI is not willing to spend, but PM Narendra Modi has donated `6,500 crore to Mongolia, and `10,000 crore to ailing Air India, said retired Brigadier Kumar Vinayak.
He was talking to media persons here on Wednesday. In the hunger strike at Jantar Mantar in Delhi ex-servicemen from Bhopal and across the state would participate. On every occasion, bravery of the soldiers is praised by the Government but when it comes to accept the long pending of OROP the administrative system is imposing impediments, alleged former Brigadier Vinayak.
He said that after the war of 1971 in the third pay commission the pension which was 75 per cent of the basic salary was reduced to 50 percent while the pensions of others Government employees which was 33 percent of the basic salary was raised to 50 per cent and later KP Singh committee in the year 1984 recommended OROP but the recommendations were not accepted.
In the year 2011 Sansad Bhagat Singh Kosiyari Committee strongly recommended implementation of OROP which was accepted by parliament and was supported by all the political parties. later, the PM has assured thrice but still the demand has not been fulfilled which has raised discontent among the former soldiers.
Former Brigadier Vinayak claimed that our country spends less than 3 per cent of GDP on its Armed Forces compared to 7 per cent by Pakistan and 13 per cent by China. By any counts a marginal enhancement in the defence budget on account of pension disbursement will be most desirable by any level of judgment vis-a-vis accrued benefits and satisfaction level of defense personnel.