Congress accuses Centre of 'short changing' people on One Rank One Pension

The Congress party on Saturday criticised the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA Government at the Centre for the delay in implementation of the One Rank One Pension scheme, saying it has always been short charging people through their promises.

"It was on expected lines. What do you expect from a government that has always been short charging people through their promises? They make promises and they don't follow it," Congress leader Tom Vadakkan told ANI here.

"Can you do this to the soldiers who have sacrificed their lives for this nation, who have suffered for this nation? It's only this government whose attitude is making promises and winning elections.

Now, people of India with their open eyes will see them in their true colours," he added.

Taking a jibe at Prime Minister Modi's pre-poll Lok Sabha 2014 promise of implementation of the OROP scheme, Vadakkan said: "If we were in power, this would have been first on our agenda and we would have cleared it with immediate effect."

The Madras High Court on Friday issued notice to the Centre on a petition seeking a direction to issue a notification to implement the One Rank One Pension (OROP) scheme within a stipulated period.

The delay in implementing the One Rank One Pension Scheme has drawn flak from various political parties, especially the Congress.

The Indian Ex-Servicemen Movement is launching protest, which is gradually gaining momentum. Several ex-servicemen from Mohali, Chandigarh and Panchkula and widowsof soldiers from adjoining villages of Mohali are joining the protest.

The OROP scheme has been a long-standing demand of ex-servicemen's associations and relates to payment of uniform pension to defence forces personnel retiring in the same rank with the same length of service, irrespective of their date of retirement.