Delay in OROP shows difference in what NDA 'preaches and practises': Congress

The Congress Party on Wednesday said that delay in implementation of the 'One Rank, One Pension' (OROP) scheme shows a difference in what the BJP-led NDA preaches and practises.

Demanding that the OROP scheme be implemented at the earliest, Congress leader P.L. Punia questioned the silence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi who made tall claims before the Lok Sabha polls.

"How many promises did Prime Minister Modi make before the polls? And now, he is completely silent. Sometimes the Finance Ministry is showing objection, sometimes the Home Ministry and sometimes the Defence Ministry is showing objection. This is wrong," Punia told ANI here.

"To say that if we execute OROP on ex-servicemen, then paramilitary forces would protest as they retire at a much later age is wrong. Whatever the paramilitary forces are demanding can be fulfilled too. The UPA government had taken a decision in 2013, we demand that without any delay it be executed at the earliest," he added.

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

The Central Government has drawn flak from various political parties over its delay in implementing the scheme.