Ex-servicemen seek President's intervention

Intensifying their agitation for ‘One-Rank, One-Pension (OROP),’ ex-servicemen on Saturday wrote a letter to the President Pranab Mukherjee seeking his intervention to resolve the issue. They also said if anything happens to fasting veterans he and the Government will be “solely responsible.” Condition of four former soldiers, who are on fast unto death in the national Capital, is serious.

In the letter to the President, who is also the Supreme Commander of the armed forces, United Front of Ex-servicemen (UFESM) said a soldier is supposed to kill the enemy before laying down his life for country, “but under your rule, a soldier’s life is at stake and is being wasted as he is being deprived of his legitimate dues.”  

Copies of the letter were also sent to Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and BJP president Amit Shah. Parrikar on Friday had sought some more time to resolve the vexed OROP issue and assured the veterans that the Government in principle has decided to implement it but “small gaps have to be filled.”

He also said the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) is directly involved in finding a solution.

UFESM, an umbrella organisation of agitating veterans, noted that as many as four former soldiers, who are on fast- unto-death, have been hospitalised and that health of another ex-serviceman Havildar  Major Singh, who was on an indefinite fast since August 16, was fast deteriorating.

“Your Excellency and the Government of India will be solely responsible if any damage/mishap happening to Havildar Major Singh or any other ex-servicemen because of hunger strike,” it said.

Urging the President to instruct the Government to implement OROP as per Defence Ministry letter dated February 26, 2014, the protestors said there are some issues where financial cost cannot be the sole determinant factor and that the pensions of Defence veterans is one of these. “OROP stands approved both by the UPA as well as the present NDA Government. However, its implementation has not been carried out so far for the reason best known to your Government,” the letter said.

It added that during the veterans’ meeting with Defence Minister, they were informed that the proposal for implementation of OROP costing `8,298.48 crore had been approved by him and forwarded to the Finance Ministry on March 17, 2015. “It is here, where OROP file seems to have been stuck,” the letter said.

The Government had initially wanted base year being 2011 but then relented to stick to the veterans’ demand of 2013-14 as per vote on account and Finance Bill 2014.  But they wanted the payout date be pushed forward from April 1, 2014 to April 1, 2015, a proposal rejected by the veterans.In subsequent talks, the Government pushed the payout date from April 1, 2014 to September 1, 2014.

However, there would be a provision of review of pensions once every five years against the veterans’ proposal of once a year or once at least every two years.Close to 22 lakh retired servicemen and over six lakh war widows stand to be immediate beneficiaries of the scheme, which envisages a uniform pension for the Defence personnel who retire in the same rank with the same length of service, irrespective of their date of retirement.