: Demanding immediate implementation of One Rank One Pension (OROP) to ex-servicemen, the Indian Ex-Services League (IEL) Odisha has threatened to go on agitation here on June 14.
“The OROP to ex-servicemen which has got all level clearance has not yet been implemented by the present government. The Rajya Sabha Committee on Petition in its report tabled on December 19, 2011 strongly recommended granting OROP. The then finance minister P Chidambaram had also accepted the proposal,” said IEL, Odisha General Secretary Bidyadhar Nayak.
Presenting the interim budget, Mr. Chidambaram had announced that the government would transfer Rs 500 crore to the defence pension account for implementation of OROP which would have benefited around 30 lakh defence pensioners, Mr. Nayak said.
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Before coming to power, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had made poll promises to implement the OROP, and the same promise figured in the address of President Pranab Mukherjee on June 9, 2014, he said.
However, one year passed since then the Modi government made the announcement, Mr. Nayak said adding that armed force veterans from Odisha had submitted a number of representations demanding the pension scheme, but all in vain.
IEL, Odisha General Secretary said, “Odisha has about 50,000 ex-servicemen including widows eligible for OROP. We will stage a demonstration at Lower PMG Square in Bhubaneswar on June 14 demanding the OROP.”
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Odisha has about 50,000 ex-servicemen including widows eligible for OROP
Bidyadhar Nayak
Odisha General Secretary
Indian Ex-Services League