The Union government notified the one rank, one pension (OROP) scheme on Saturday, but ex-servicemen were quick to reject it.
“The Government Order by the Ministry of Defence, which could not be issued [earlier] because of the model code of conduct [for Bihar elections], has been issued today,” said a government statement.
Same conditions The government seems to have stuck to the conditions announced by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar in September. The veterans had rejected them then, and last weekend, announced plans to step up protests.
“The notification will not be acceptable,” Maj.Gen. (Retd.) Satbir Singh, chairman, Indian Ex-Servicemen Movement, told a news agency.
Personnel who henceforth get discharged on their own request under Rule 13(3)1(i)(b),13(3)1(iv) or Rule 16B of the Army Rule 1954 or the equivalent Navy or Air Force Rules will not be entitled to OROP benefits, the government said. The ex-servicemen, however, want no distinction between retirees, and exclusion of such personnel will become a major point of friction.
The two sides had not reached a consensus on the concept of premature retirement. Earlier, the government stated that those opting for it would not be eligible for the OROP. After protests by ex-servicemen, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said everyone was eligible. However, the notification said those opting for it in future would be out of the scheme.
The notification says “in future, the pension would be re-fixed every 5 years”. The ex-servicemen have been demanding more frequent revisions. They have argued that revision after every five years, which means five different pensions for the same rank, will not be in the spirit of the OROP.
The government announced that the pension of past retirees would be revised on the basis of the pension of retirees of calendar year 2013 and the benefit will be effective from July 1, 2014. This is not acceptable to the veterans, sources said.
The notification said arrears would be paid in four equal half-yearly instalments. However, family pensioners and gallantry award winners would be made the payment in a single instalment, it said.
The OROP implies uniform pension for the armed forces personnel retiring in the same rank and with the same length of service, regardless of their date of retirement.
