New Delhi, Nov. 7 (PTI): The Centre tonight issued a notification bringing into force the one rank, one pension (Orop) scheme for retired soldiers, which will benefit over 25 lakh veterans and war widows.

Protesting ex-servicemen rejected the notification, saying their key demands had not been accepted and the government’s scheme amounted to “one rank, five pensions”.

Orop, a longstanding demand of ex-servicemen, seeks to ensure uniform pension to defence personnel who retire from the same rank after the same length of service irrespective of their date of retirement.

The veterans’ key complaint is that the government formula involves a five-year revision of their pensions instead of an annual revision.

The content of the notification is similar to the announcements made by defence minister Manohar Parrikar on September 5.

According to the notification, pensions will be re-fixed on the basis of the amount paid to those who have retired in the 2013 calendar year and the benefit will be effective from July 1, 2014.

The veterans had demanded that the period for pension should be the 2013-14 financial year, not the 2013 calendar year. They had also wanted that the benefit be effective from April 1, not July 1.

The notification said that in future, pensions would be re-fixed every five years. The ex-servicemen have been demanding a yearly revision.

Maj. Gen. (retd) Satbir Singh, the chairman of the Indian Ex-Servicemen Movement that is spearheading the protest, said: “The notification will not be acceptable to the rank and file”.

“It is not one rank, one pension but one rank, five pensions,” he said.

Another key element of the notification is that armed forces personnel who opt to get discharged on their own request would henceforth not get Orop benefits.

A defence ministry statement said the UPA government had earmarked Rs 500 crore for the Orop scheme.

“The present government undertook the task earnestly and realised that the actual additional annual expenditure would be Rs 8,000 to 10,000 crore at present and will increase further in future,” the statement said.

The notification said the pension would be re-fixed on the basis of the average of the minimum and the maximum pension of personnel retiring in 2013 from the same rank and after the same length of service. The ex-servicemen had demanded that the maximum pension amount be taken into account.

According to the notification, the pension of those drawing above the average shall be protected. It said arrears would be paid in four equal half-yearly instalments.

The government has decided to appoint a judicial committee to look into anomalies, if any, in the implementation of Orop. The committee will submit its report in six months.