Only “four to five per cent” of the ex-soldiers have still eluded the OROP bracket and will start receiving benefits of the scheme in two months, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said on Saturday, adding that he would not discuss the pension issue with former soldiers who are indulging in politics.
Parrikar, who was interacting with reporters in the State capital here, also said that the delay in the issue of pensions, was because some of the pensions dated back to the 1962 war and documents related to the soldiers' tenure in service then, were not available with the Defence Ministry’s pensions department.
"95 per cent plus people have already received the benefit. The rest four to five per cent, the reason is that many soldiers are old pensioners, drawing pension from the 1962 war. The 1962 war was 54 years back. There are 65 war pensioners, 71 war pensioners and many who are family pensioners. Their old records are not available with the pensions department," Parrikar told reporters here.
He also said, that one of the most important clauses of the One-Rank, One-Pension scheme was the tenure served by the soldier in the Armed Forces and said that there was a delay in establishing the tenure of service in case of the "four to five per cent" ex-soldiers because their records were not available with the pensions departments.
"One of the criteria is the number of years of service given because the concept is equal service amounts to equal pay. So (record of) past service especially for family pensioners is not available. Therefore that is an obstacle for four to five per cent. For that I have issued special orders that it should be collated from other records and in cases where it cannot, can use affidavits or other formats, and in the remaining two months, the four per cent remaining will also get it," Parrikar said.
Parrikar also said, that he would not like to engage with ex-servicemen with political linkages and politicians, because the latter he claimed had not understood the issues and the former lot did not think like ex-soldiers.
"Those who have become politicians, those who have formed a political party...
Even in our party there are ex-servicemen politicians, as is the case with other political parties too. They think like politicians and not like ex-soldiers. I cannot discuss about them," Parrikar said, when he was asked to comment on the politicization of the OROP issue.
"So, if they (ex-servicemen associations) are satisfied, then the rest who indulge in politics, I cannot satisfy them. I can assure you and you can go to the ex servicemen," Parrikar said.
"I will not speak about the politics behind it. The politicians have not understood it," the Defence minister also said.