SC's OROP order for all ranks, say ex-servicemen

With the Supreme Court ordering that the government should implement the 'One Rank, One Pension' (OROP) within six weeks, ex-servicemen have said the implementation should be for all ranks and not just for the major general rank for which the case was filed.

In relation to a case going on in the Supreme Court pertaining to the difference in pension of major general rank officers, the apex court in February gave the government a three-month deadline for implementation of OROP.

"Additional Solicitor General Pinky Anand said in the hearing that the government has sanctioned OROP after which the case will be solved itself. The Supreme Court then gave a three-month deadline, which has passed," said Maj. Gen. (retd.) Satbir Singh, chairman of the Indian Ex-Servicemen Movement.

"The impression now being created is that OROP will be only for major general rank, which is not true. OROP is for all ranks and has to be implemented for all ranks," the retired army officer told IANS.

In February, a bench of Justice T.S. Thakur and Justice A.K. Goel gave the government a three-month deadline for implementing OROP.

On Wednesday, the bench gave the Centre another six weeks for implementation of OROP on a request made by Anand, who asked for some more time to enable the government to do the needful.

"The SC order is clear, OROP shall be implemented," Maj. Gen. Singh said.

Meanwhile, braving incessant rain, ex-servicemen continued their protest at Jantar Mantar in the national capital.

Saturday was the 28th day of the protest by ex-servicemen over OROP, which began on June 14. Since June 15, the veterans have been holding a relay hunger strike.

"Both the UPA and NDA governments' sanctions of OROP were an eyewash. I hope that the present government will now abide by the SC order," Maj. Gen. Singh added.

The ex-servicemen are demanding that the government give them a date for implementation of OROP. They have also demanded that the nature of the scheme should not be changed.

Currently, pension for retired personnel is based on the Pay Commission recommendations at the time when the personnel retired.

This leads to a difference in pension for officers of the same rank who retire on different dates.