NEW DELHI:In a Deepavali gift to 25 lakh retired defence personnel and nearly 6.5 lakh war widows, the BJP-led NDA government on Saturday fulfilled its commitment by issuing the much-awaited notification on implementation of the ‘One Rank One Pension’ scheme. The development came a day after the veterans threatened to return their medals in protest against the delay in implementing the scheme.
A statement by the Ministry of Defence late in the evening said that pension benefits of past pensioners would be re-fixed on the basis of pension of retirees of 2013 and the benefit will be applicable from July 1, 2014. Pension will be re-fixed as per average of minimum and maximum pension of personnel who retired in 2013 in the same rank and with the same length of service. Those who opt to get discharged, from now on, will not get benefits of OROP. It will be effective prospectively, the ministry added and made it clear that pension for those drawing above the average shall be protected.
The ministry also said the arrears will be paid in four equal half-yearly installments. However, all family pensioners, including those in receipt of Special/Liberalised family pension, and gallantry award winners shall be paid arrears in one installment. In future, the pension would be re-fixed every five years.
Major General (retd) Satbir Singh, chairman of the Indian Ex-servicemen Movement, said the OROP notification will not be acceptable to veterans in the present forma and their protest will continue. A statement issued by the United Front of Ex-servicemen Movement said, “The notification is not acceptable in its present form as it does not address the seven anomalies pointed out by UFESM. It will be studied, interpreted by our legal experts and then a response communicated on the subject.”
“Defence forces of India have a rich history and tradition of bravery and gallantry. Defence forces have not only defended our borders with exemplary courage and valour but have also performed with fearless attitude and empathy in natural calamities and other trying circumstances. Government of India recognizes and respects their contribution,” the Ministry of Defence said in its statement.
Moreover, the government has also decided to appoint a Judicial Committee to look into anomalies, if any, arising out of implementation of OROP. The Committee will submit its report in six months.
Detailed instructions along with tables indicating revised pension for each rank and category shall be issued separately for updation of pension and payment of arrears directly by Pension Disbursing Agencies, the Defence Ministry added.
Even after the government announced scheme, a section of the veterans continued their protest citing seven lacunae, including annual equalisation and 2013-14 as the base year.
The issue of One Rank One Pension was a long-standing demand. Defence forces had been demanding it for almost four decades but the issue could not be resolved.
However, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had made a commitment to implement it for the welfare of the ex-servicemen while campaigning for 2014 elections.
The government had, after negotiations that went on for months, announced on September 5 that it would implement OROP, which ensures that armed personnel of the same rank will draw the same pension regardless of when they retired.
But due to Bihar assembly polls and Model Code, the government could not issue a notification in this regard.
Though it will cause nearly Rs 10,000 crore annual financial expenditure to the exchequer, the previous UPA government had made a budget announcement to implement the OROP and made a provision of only Rs 500 crore.
Significantly, the Koshiyari Committee had accepted the estimate of Rs 235 crore as additional financial burden to implement the OROP.
The fine print
■ Initially, pension would be re-fixed on the basis of pension of retirees of 2013 and benefit will be effective with effect from July 1, 2014
■ Pension would be re-fixed every 5 years
■ Personnel who opt to get discharged on their request would henceforth not get OROP benefits
■ Arrears to be paid in four equal half-yearly installments