Coming along expected lines, the announcement for the One Rank, One Pension (OROP) by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Saturday for ex-servicemen attained political connotations and witnessed a game of one-upmanship.
Seeking to take credit for deciding the OROP scheme that has been lingering for the last 40 years, the Narendra Modi Government hit out at its predecessor for doing nothing concrete on the issue. While the BJP lost no time in crediting the Government and Prime Minister Modi for fulfilling one of its major election promises, the Congress responded by fielding former Defence Minister AK Antony to outline the UPA regime's steps in this regard and termed the OROP provisions diluted.
While making the formal announcement for OROP scheme, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said the issue was pending for nearly four decades and though the previous UPA Government had made an announcement to implement it in 2014-15, it had not specified what the scheme would be.
Taking a jibe at the erstwhile Congress-led UPA dispensation, Parrikar said the previous Government had estimated that OROP would be implemented with a budget provision of mere Rs500 crore, but the reality is that an estimated cost of about Rs10,000 crore will be incurred on the exchequer.
BJP president Amit Shah termed “historic” the Centre’s decision and said the party has fulfilled the poll promise made during the 2014 lok Sabha elections campaign by its then BJP’s prime ministerial candidate who is now the PM.
Attacking the Congress at the same time, Shah said the pension of ex-servicemen was decreased by the Congress Government in the 70s.
He slammed the allocation of only Rs500 crore for OROP by the previous UPA Government and termed as “joke” the manner in which the Congress treated the servicemen in this matter for decades.
“In 1973, their pension was reduced from 70 per cent to 50 per cent (of salary) and the demand for OROP has been hanging fire since.... The previous Congress Government in its last moments made an allocation of Rs 500 crore for it and this was a joke with servicemen,” Shah said at a press briefing soon after announcement on OROP.
Also, Shah tweeted that the “historic” decision is a “big step for the welfare of soldiers; the real life heroes”.
Former Defence Minister A K Antony took exception to Parrikar's remarks that OROP was being implemented for the first time in four decades by his Government. “The Defence Minister is doing politics,” Antony said insisting that the UPA Government had announced acceptance of OROP last year and had even provided a token amount of Rs 500 crores and constituted an expert committee.
The senior Congress leader also charged the Government with “substantially diluting” its provisions and “ridiculing” ex-servicemen. Attacking the Government's decision to keep out of OROP those ex-servicemen who had opted for VRS, Antony said it was sad because 90 per cent of service personnel retire between 35 to 40 years of age.
Former Union Minister Kapil Sibal said the Congress was against the provision of revision of pension every five years announced by the Government. He also faulted it for not adhering to the equalisation principle.
Urging ex-servicemen to stop agitating since their basic demand of OROP has been met, Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said the Congress has no moral right to question the Modi Government on OROP issue. “Why did they not approve it even partiallyIJ I urge them not to politicise every issue. I request ex-service men to withdraw agitation. Ancillary issues, if any, with them can be discussed,” said Naidu.