To express their anguish about inordinate delay in the implementation of One Rank One Pension (OROP) scheme, the ex-servicemen would boycott all Government programmes on the ‘Kargil Day’ on July 26 and in Uttarakhand a huge rally would be organised at Parade Ground, said Brigadier K G Behl (Rtd) of United Front of Ex servicemen, Uttarakhand while addressing a press conference here on Friday.
The proposed rally would proceed to clock tower via Astley hall and reach Gandhi Park where floral wreaths would be laid at ‘Kargil War memorial’. The rally would return back to Parade ground from there. Behl informed that the veterans would wear their medals and regimental caps and as a mark of protest would sport a black arm ribbon. Wheel chair bound war veterans and ladies would lead the March.
Behl said that the armed forces veterans are fed up with the repeated assurance of the Government on OROP and are now united in their demand. Behl said that the pre 2006 retirees of armed forces are bearing the major brunt of pension disparity. He said that traditionally armed forces personnel had an edge over their civilian counterparts in salaries but gradually they were ignored due to which the disparity occurred. Colonel S C Tyagi (Rtd) said that the ex-servicemen used to get more pension than civilian counterparts till the year 1973. “The Government then made the pensions similar and assured the ex servicemen that it would introduce OROP soon. A promise which is still not kept” said Yadav.
To press for their demand of OROP, the ex-servicemen from all parts of the country are participating in the relay hunger strike at Jantar Mantar in Dehli from June 15.
The OROP pertain to similar pension to personnel superannuating on the same rank with the same length of service notwithstanding their date of retirement. The defence experts believe that the Government needs at least Rs9000 crores to implement the provisions of OROP.