OROP protests likely to intensify

OROP protests likely to intensify

“UFESM is not ready to believe the assurances given by all the forces that constitute the power at the Centre that the scheme would be implemented.”

This is because such assurances have been given for a number of years by a number of parties and nothing had happened. Therefore, this time, the UFESM is not ready to bow down.

Either the plan has to be announced, or the Prime Minister has to announce the date on which the plan will be implemented. Else, as per the current scenario, the protests are going to intensify.

In more than 60 cities across the country, protests are being held demanding the implementation of the OROP scheme. Ex-servicemen from all over the country are arriving in New Delhi to participate in the relay fast protest that is being conducted at Jantar Mantar.

The UFESM has announced that ex-servicemen shall henceforth boycott all the government-organized functions. They have also decided to go to the court after hearing the Prime Minister’s Independence Day speech to find out the Government’s stand on the issue.

Armymen are being granted pensions and retirement benefits based on the current pay commission’s recommendations at the time of their retirement. Since the pension calculations are revised once every ten years, the OROP scheme seeks to remove the resultant anomalies.

One Rank One Pension (OROP) – Central Government Ignores Week-long Protests

One Rank One Pension – Central Government Ignores Week-long Protests

“The protests that began in New Delhi’s Jantar Mantar last Monday, demanding immediate implementation of the OROP continues even as the government chooses to turn a blind eye towards it”

Ex-servicemen have been protesting now for a week at New Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, demanding the immediate implementation of the OROP scheme. Similar protests are also on at 20 important cities in the country to put pressure on the government to act.

The series of protests is jointly organized by 30 ex-servicemen welfare organizations, under the leadership of Chairman of IESM, Maj. Gen. Satbir Singh. Speaking to the media, Satbir Singh said, “Until now the Government has not tried to negotiate with us. If there are no results for the protests, we will shift our protests to Bihar.”

The protesters believe that the government will be more receptive to their demands if the protests affect the party’s chances of winning the state elections in Bihar.

BJP’s parliamentary election manifesto last year promised immediate implementation of the OROP if they come to power. After coming to power, assurances were given by the ministers including the prime minister himself.

Ex-servicemen expected a formal announcement to be made at the first year rally. But, not a word was uttered about this. The ex-servicemen did not lose hope.

On June 1, in his ‘Mann ki Baat’ radio show, the prime minister assured that he will implement the OROP scheme.

Media reports indicated that sufficient funds were allocated in the previous financial year and that steps are on to implement the scheme. Reports further added that the revised pension scheme is very similar to those of the MPs. But, one has to also accept the fact that the scheme is much closer to implementation than it ever was during the Congress regime.

Many wonder why the army-men have resorted to protests. A number of reasons are being given for the protests.

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OROP Scheme – VK Singh says the Centre is certainly committed to implement

OROP Scheme – VK Singh says the Centre is certainly committed to implement

“For more than four days now, the relay fast protests by the ex-servicemen have been on in New Delhi demanding the immediate implementation of the OROP scheme.”

All over the country, in 20 cities, the relay fast protests by ex-servicemen, seeking the immediate implementation of the One Rank One Pension scheme have entered its fourth day.

Meanwhile, the Central Minister, VK Singh, who was in Hyderabad yesterday, has told the PTI news agency that the OROP scheme will definitely be implemented.

Minister of State for External Affairs General VK Singh, “I’m very confident that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will definitely fulfill all his promises. Steps are on to implement the scheme. Some confusion regarding the calculations has to be sorted out. The Modi government will very soon address the needs of the ex-servicemen. Please do not lose hope,” he added.

According to sources, the United Front of Ex-Servicemen has told a leading newspaper announced yesterday that the OROP scheme will be announced in another few days.

The ex-servicemen have managed to draw the attention of the entire country and the media to their cause through the protest. But they are still waiting for a sign from the Government that their demands have been heard.

Source: www.7thpaycommissionnews.in

Implementation of OROP likely by the year-end

Implementation of OROP likely by the year-end

“A series of statements and assurances from various ministers and higher officials had increased the expectations and worsened the situation.”

Sources say that the much anticipated and much-delayed One Rank One Pension scheme will come into effect before the end of this year, ahead of the Bihar elections.

For a very long time now, army personnel have been demanding that the OROP scheme be implemented. They have now stepped up their demand now. Relay fast protests were held in 20 cities, including New Delhi, yesterday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had assured a number of times before that he is committed to introducing the scheme. But, the ex-servicemen have openly asked why the government is hesitating to implement the scheme and have warned that they would campaign against the BJP in the upcoming state elections in Bihar at the end of the year.

Following the warning, the Government has stepped up its activities implementing the OROP scheme. It has come to our knowledge that the scheme would be implemented as soon as the government lists out the beneficiaries who are going to benefit from the revised pension scale.

Information sources claim that since a mega-coalition has already been formed to counter the BJP in Bihar, the fear of alienating the ex-servicemen has rattled the BJP-government at the centre.

Source: www.7thpaycommissionnews.in

One Rank One Pension Scheme - Ex-Servicemen Decide to Fight

One Rank One Pension – Ex-Servicemen Decide to Fight

Ever since Narendra Modi took charge as the new Prime Minister, expectations have been running high. When expectations run high, so do disappointments. Despite the fact that some time is needed for implementing the various promises that his party had made during the Parliamentary elections, questions are also being raised as to why there is such a long delay.

The Indian Ex-Servicemen Movement (IESM) has announced that it is going to launch a series of protests demanding that the One Rank One Pension scheme be implemented.

A group of Ex-Servicemen met Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Saturday, but he didn’t give any date by which the scheme will be implemented. Parrikar understood our problem and argument in the two meetings but he did not give us any date for OROP implementation. Therefore, we are going ahead with our agitation,” said Major-General (retd) Satbir Singh, chairperson of the Indian Ex-Servicemen Movement.

The first step is to launch a series of protests. One-Rank-One-Pension was one of the biggest and most important promises that Narendra Modi had made. According to this scheme, all the ex-servicemen of the same rank will be given the same pension irrespective of the year in which they had retired or quit the services. There shall not be any variations. Laws relating to this have to be passed by the Parliament. To probably serve as reminders to the promise made by him, large numbers of ex-servicemen used to throng all the political rallies organized by Modi.

Modi clarified that there are some legal issues that have to be sorted before the scheme is implemented, but he promised fast action. But, the ex-servicemen are going to protest from the 14th of this month to make the OROP scheme a reality. They proposed to hold a Rally at Jantar Mantar on June 14 and hunger strike from 15th onwards.

Everybody is curious to find out how Modi is going to handle this protest – probably the first large-scale show of disgruntlement against the NDA government.

One Rank One Pension Formula May Be Similar to MP’s Pension Plan

One Rank One Pension Formula May Be Similar to MP’s Pension Plan

New OROP formula may be similar to MPs’ pension plan

NEW DELHI: The government is working on a fresh option to resolve the ongoing stand-off over ‘one-rank-one-pension’ demand of ex-servicemen, sources said on Thursday.

According to a senior government official, they are working on a proposal that would be similar to the pension scheme for MPs. The scheme operates on a band concept, with additional money for each additional year of service.-

The proposal is to create pension bands for each rank, and then provide additional money for each extra year of service. So all officers who retire in a particular rank will be in the same band of pension, with the total pension payment going up according to the number of years he has spent in that rank.

“We are working out the fine details,” one source said. Senior government officials are thrashing out the finer details, and it would be presented to the representatives of ex-servicemen and the military brass.

The latest move comes even as ex-servicemen are continuing with their protests against what they feel is a huge let down by the Narendra Modi government, which had come to power promising to implement the OROP scheme.

Ex-servicemen, some of whom have begun to boycott government functions, are planning a major rally in New Delhi on June 14 to protest against the government failure to fulfil the promise.

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