Ex-Service Men (ESMs) of Odisha thanked Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar for granting One-Rank, One-Payment (OROP) to ESM and urged him to create a slew of facilities for them in Odisha.
War Veteran Officer’s Association (WVOA) president retired lt Gen Narayan Mohanty met Parrikar here during his visit to the State on June 26 and placed the demands. While thanking OROP sanction from July 1, 2014, Mohanty told the Minister that it would have been better if the equalization period would have been one year instead of five years so that the Central Pay Commission benefits could have been available to them.
Informing that the number of dependence on the ECHS Polyclinic has increased to 92,200, Mohanty requested the Minister to upgrade the hospital from Type C to Type B. Similarly, he placed a request to establish a regional centre of ECHS in Odisha so that sanctioning of procurement of medicines and clearing of bills of empanelled hospitals can be done at ease. Now, the hospitals are dependent on the Regional Centre of ECHS, Namkun via Sub Area HQ, Raipur.
Mohanty too informed that Bhubaneswar is the only State capital where there is no Army MH. Though former DGAFMS Air Marshal DP Johsi had in February 2014 recommended to set up a Section Hospital at Bhubaneswar with Advance Medicine Store Deport (AMSD), it is yet to be translated into reality. It is an absolute requirement now, he told Parrikar.
Regarding Canteen Source Depot (CSD), Mohanty said, “Presently, Canteens in Odiha are dependent upon CSD at Vishakhapatnam. For this, ESM of Odisha are being deprived of purchasing items like cars, two wheelers, refrigerators. Hence, a CSD should be established in Odihsa.”
lastly, Mohanty urged the Minister to create rehabilitation avenues for the Odisha ESM in Central SPUs and various Central Government schemes.