BJP has made a mess of OROP, says Anand Sharma

Senior Congress leader Anand Sharma on Saturday said the BJP government has created a mess on the One Rank One Pension (OROP) scheme and it was very painful to see ex-servicemen struggle for months for what had been promised to them by the previous UPA Government.

Rejecting the "political" statement made by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, Anand Sharma said, "It was an interim budget, a cabinet decision was taken by the then Government."

"It was expected that the BJP government would continue with the adequate provision in the regular budget," said Sharma.

Speaking to the ANI, he said, "PM Modi had made commitments on OROP with ex-servicemen as a token of gaining their votes."

That 14 former chiefs of the armed forces had to petition President Pranab Mukherjee for implementation of OROP, was a sad reflection on the way the country and its people were treating war veterans, said Sharma.

He also said that anybody who takes voluntarily retirement from the armed forces is fully qualified under the laws for grant of pension.

Parrikar announced to the OROP scheme on Saturday afternoon, and said its benefit would be given to all ex-servicemen, excluding voluntary retirees from July 1, 2014.

The government has fixed base year as 2013.