Will approach one-man judicial panel: Ex-servicemen

Ex-servicemen continuing with their protest here on the 'One Rank One Pension' (OROP) on Thursday said they will approach the one-member judicial committee but wondered if the government will accept its recommendations.

Members of the United Front of Ex-Servicemen (UFESM) on Monday met Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar who, the ex-servicemen said, asked them to approach the judicial committee of L. Narasimha Reddy, a retired Patna High Court chief justice, in case they wanted any changes in the OROP scheme.

"We will go to the judicial committee. We will use all democratic methods to forward our demands," Maj. Gen. Satbir Singh (retd) said on Thursday.

Singh said the ex-servicemen will approach the committee through the government.

"We will submit our concerns to the government which will forward it to the committee," Singh said.

"But when we asked if the government will accept the committee recommendations, the minister said it is not certain," he added.

The veterans have maintained that the OROP scheme announced by the government is flawed, and want some amendments, including reduction in the period of revision of pensions to one year from the present five.

Headquartered in Delhi, the judicial committee is supported by the department of ex-servicemen's welfare under the defence ministry.

It is examining measures for the removal of anomalies that may arise in the implementation of the OROP, measures for the removal of anomalies that may arise out of inter-services issues of the three armed forces due to implementation of OROP, implications on service matters and any other matter referred by the central government on implementation of the OROP or related issues.