OROP: Indian Army last organisation to get benefits, says Major General (retd.) Sinho

Criticising the Centre's delay in the implementation of the One Rank, One Pension (OROP) scheme, Major General (retd.) S. R. Sinho on Sunday said that the Indian Army has always been the last organisation in the nation to get perks and benefits.

"Whenever there has been any requirement for national security, for earthquake, for floods or in case of a disaster, the army has always been there first to take suitable action. But when it comes to the finances, giving perks, giving benefits, the Indian Army becomes the last organization in this country," Major General (retd.) Sinho told ANI here.

"This system of OROP has been pending for many years. Whenever the elections come, lots of promises are made by various parties that it will be executed soon. 8,000 crores is not a very big amount for a country like India, which has a huge army budget," he added.

Major General (retd.) Sinho further said it is high time that the government takes immediate action and involve the suggestions of the army people.

"Whenever the MPs, MLAs are involved, without question, a number of times their pensions, pay and everything have been raised. Even in the judiciary and the bureaucracy, benefits are received. It is the army precedence of seniority over a period of time from the British time to now that has been brought down tremendously," he said.

Hundreds of ex-servicemen gathered at the Jantar Mantar here today to protest against the delay in implementation of OROP scheme.

Meanwhile, the NDA Government at the Centre has drawn flak from various political parties over its delay in implementing the OROP scheme.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while addressing the nation in his eighth edition of the 'Mann Ki Baat' programme, had assured ex-servicemen that his government would soon resolve the OROP issue.

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.