Parrikar assures OROP resolution within two months

Defence Minister Manohar Parikkar on Saturday assured that the problems being faced by ex-servicemen in getting the revised pension under One Rank One Pension (OROP) scheme would be completely resolved within two months.

"There was a pending demand on OROP for 43 years that we have already accepted. For this on 7-11-2015, the government had brought out an order after Cabinet approval. Later on, in February, the financial order came out, since the earlier order does not contain any financial details. After that, the dispersal began. 95% plus people have already received its benefits. Rest of the 4-5% which did not receive it is due to the fact that many of the soldiers are old pensioners of many years," Parikkar said.

"They are pensioners of the 1962 war. It has almost been 54 years since the 1962 war. Then there are pensioners from the '65 war, '71 war and some of them are family pensioners. So, their old records are not available with the Pension Department," he added, while speaking to the media in Goa.

He further added that the most important clause in OROP is the number of years of service. This criterion is important because the concept is equal pay for equal service.

Some of the service years for family pensioners are not available. That is why some obstructions have been created for that 4-5%. For that I have made a special order that in month they procure it from other records, and whoever won't be covered in this one month, for them we provide affidavit or other and the 4% will also get it," the defence minister said.

Earlier, Parikkar had said that the government is studying the report of the Justice L Narasimha Reddy Committee on the issue of anomalies in implementation of One Rank One Pension (OROP) and action on its recommendations would be taken soon.

Parrikar said, "The OROP is a 43-year-old demand, which was accepted by the government headed by Narendra Modi. Every year Rs 7,500 crore will be incurred and Rs 11,000 crore will be paid in four installments out of which about Rs 5,500 crore has been paid. We also formed the Justice Reddy Committee to go into the issue of anomalies in implementation of OROP. The report is with us and will be implemented soon."

Meanwhile, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley slammed the Congress for using the suicide of ex-serviceman Ram Kishan Grewal for "political gain". "The government fully sympathizes with the defence personnel and his family who committed suicide. It doesn't behove senior national leaders to exploit a tragedy of this kind, particularly in the intensive care units of the hospital. More responsible behaviour is expected of them."

Alluding to Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, he said, "It is equally important that nobody tries to convert a personal tragedy of an individual into political gain for a party whose fortunes are otherwise sinking.