Veterans welcome release of first part of arrears

Veterans protesting for implementation of One Rank One Pension (OROP) today welcomed the release of first part of arrears and said they have raised some anomalies in OROP scheme with Defence minister Manohar Parrikar who asked them to take up the issue with the judicial commission set up for the purpose.
Welcoming the release of first part of the arrears, Major Gen (retd) Satbir Singh, chairman of the Indian Ex-Servicemen Movement (IESM) said they have highlighted four serious flaws in the OROP scheme announced by the government, before Parrikar.
"We started this protest from June 14 (2014) for implementation of OROP. We thank the government that this dispensation has given OROP after 42 years. We are thankful to the Prime Minister, Defence Minister, but it also has serious anomalies.

"We have pointed out four anomalies. We have requested them to approve it. In our last meeting with the Defence Minister two days back, we have asked them how many anomalies can they address so that we can call off our protest. He has asked us to raise these issues with a one-member judicial commission.
"We asked the Defence Minister whether the government will accept the decision given by the one-member committee. To this, he said it would be difficult to say anything about this," Singh said.
In September last year, the government declared implementation of OROP, which was rejected by the veterans. Formation of a one-member judicial commission was also announced to look into the unresolved aspects of the issue.

On March 14, the government said that it has credited revised pensionary benefits along with arrears under One Rank-One Pension (OROP) scheme to more than 2 lakh pensioners drawing service and disability pensions. As to the more than 1.46 lakh family pensioners, the government will credit the new benefits by the end of this month, the Defence Ministry said in a statement.
Singh added that the veterans will soon decide the future course of action.
"We will soon take a decision on the future course of the movement. Our governing body will meet and soon take a decision on it," Singh said.