OROP protest continues, rally soon in poll-bound Bihar

Continuing their protest over the delay in implementing the 'One Rank One Pension' (OROP) scheme, ex-servicemen on Tuesday said they will launch a mega protest soon in the poll-bound Bihar.

Col. Anil Kaul (retd.), media adviser of the Indian Ex-Servicemen Movement, told IANS that a decision on the date of the protest in Bihar will be taken next Monday.

"A very big lie is going around that OROP is complex... There is no complexity, there is something more than what meets the eye," Col. Kaul told IANS.

"The next major rally, of the same proportion as last Sunday's, will be in Patna. Our coordination committee will meet on Monday," said Kaul.

The relay hunger strike of ex-servicemen over the delay in implementation of the OROP continued for the second day on Tuesday, with 11 veterans sitting on a 24-hour fast.

The group includes volunteers from all over the country, and another batch of volunteers will replace the ones on fast on Wednesday.

"This will go on until we get a a definitive answer. We have two demands: one, they must give a date for implementation, and second, OROP should not be diluted," Col. Kaul told IANS.

The hunger strike started on Monday with 55 veterans from Jalandhar sitting on a 24-hour fast. The veterans said from now on, volunteers will fast in batches of 11.

Col. Kaul also slammed the government for asking veterans to be patient, saying many of them do not have time to be patient.

"There are veterans who are very old, just yesterday (Monday) someone fainted during the fast, they don't have time to be patient," he added.

With the OROP, defence personnel who retired in the past would be able to draw the same pension as officers and soldiers of the same rank retiring now.

OROP is expected to benefit 25 lakh ex-servicemen and widows of defence personnel.