NEW DELHI: Congress MP Deepender Hooda slammed the Centre for bringing in a flawed OROP scheme, blaming it for the agitation among ex-servicemen despite the implementation of the pension.

Raising the issue in Lok Sabha during zero hour, Hooda clashed with the Chair and was reprimanded. He then walked out and spoke to reporters about the grievances of ex-servicemen.

Deepender said the OROP notification lay down that pension be reviewed every five years, adding the misplaced provision would make it ‘one rank-five pension’. He demanded that the pension review should happen every year.
He said premature retirement remains outside the ambit of OROP, attacking the government decision to keep the armed personnel motivated by allowing 3.1% of them to leave army annually.

The Rohtak MP demanded that those opting for premature retirement should be included in the ambit of OROP, and a new notification be issued to remove both these flaws.

“Because of these flaws, retired servicemen have been protesting for past 180 days. Despite the promise of implementing OROP within 100 days of coming to power, it has not been implemented after the passage of 600 days,” he claimed.

He had moved an adjournment notice to discuss the grievances of protesting retired armed personnel which was not allowed by the chair.