OROP: Misleading announcement by Government

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2012
'One Rank One Pension: Misleading Announcement By Govt': Ex-servicemen Cry Foul, Write To PM
"Hon’ble Prime Minister,
1. The grandiose announcement by the Govt that One Rank One Pension has been approved by the Cabinet was met with lot relief by the Ex servicemen who have been agitating for its acceptance for more than 30 years. However, this sense of relief was short lived as the details of the decision unfolded and our fears brought before you vide our letter dated 18 Jul 2012 became a reality (Copy of the letter enclosed). What has been given, albeit grudgingly, does not even meet the provision of the Armed Forces Tribunal Judgements in favour the Defence Personnel which is effective from 01.01.2006. This decision is from a prospective date.
2. Sir, OROP even at the risk of repetition, is “Defence Personnel with the same rank and same length of service must draw the same pension irrespective of the date of retirement and any future enhancement would be automatically granted to them”. This also means that no senior defence person should ever draw pension less than his junior. Sir, It further means “Removal of the Gap” and not Bridging the Gap. To illustrate, a Sepoy, Naik and Havlidar have been given an increase of only Rs 400 per month, whereas a Sepoy who retired on 31.01.2012 draws approx Rs 4000/- more than those retired prior to 2006. Similarly, major disparity still exists in the officer ranks. This, we feel, is primarily due to non inclusion of members from Defence Personnel in the committee headed by the Cabinet Secretary, a request which the three Chiefs made to the Raksha Mantri but was not accepted.
3. Sir, the Ex servicemen expect the Govt to do Justice to them. This announcement has further disillusioned the Ex Servicemen fraternity who have decided to intensify their protest in a dignified manner on All India basis.
With Regards,
Yours Sincerely,
Maj Gen (Retd) Satbir Singh, SM"
Maj Gen (Retd) Satbir Singh,Vice Chairman of the Indian Ex-Servicemen Movement has written to the PM, Defence Minister, and the three service Chiefs. He has been spearheading the movement for the past 6 years plus.
'One Rank One Pension: Misleading Announcement By Govt': Ex-servicemen Cry Foul

रिटायर्ड सैन्यकर्मियों के लिए 'समान रैंक, समान पेंशन' को मंजूरी

रिटायर्ड सैन्यकर्मियों के लिए 'समान रैंक, समान पेंशन' को मंजूरी
समान रैंक, समान पेंशन योजना
एजेंसियां | Sep 25, 2012, 09.52AM IST
नई दिल्ली।। सख्त आर्थिक सुधारों के चलते बने कसैले माहौल को कम करने के लिए केन्द्र सरकार सक्रिय हो गई है। मंत्रिमंडल ने रिटायर्ड सैन्यकर्मियों के लिए समान रैंक, समान पेंशन (OROP) लागू करने को मंजूरी देते हुए 2300 करोड़ रुपए के अतिरिक्त पेंशन पैकेज की घोषणा कर दी है। करीब 21 लाख सैन्यकर्मियों को कैबिनेट के इस फैसले से फायदा होगा।
लंबे समय से मिलिट्री कर्मियों में इस बाबत कोई कदम न उठाने के चलते रोष था। इस कदम से पहले तक इस मांग को पूरा करवाने के दबाव के लिए अब तक कई रिटायर्ड सैन्यकर्मी अपने मेडल लौटा चुके थे और रैलियां कर रहे थे। सरकार के इस फैसले के मुताबिक, रिटायर्ड सैन्यकर्मियों के बीच पेंशन में असमानता को खत्म कर दिया जाएगा। इसके तहत जनवरी 2006 के पहले और उसके बाद तीनों सेनाओं से रिटायर हुए जूनियर कमीशन अधिकारियों की पेंशन में अंतर की खानापूर्ति के मद्देनजर यह कदम उठाया गया है। पेंशन के लिए सिपाही स्तर, नायक स्तर और हवलदार रैंक पर जनवरी, 2006 से दो साल पहले या फिर दो साल बाद रिटायर हुए लोगों को इसका पात्र माना जाएगा।
और, 2006 से पहले या बाद में रिटायर हुए कमिशन ऑफिसर्स को न्यूनतम पे-बैंड की जगह न्यूनतम पेंशन टेबल में डालकर यह गैप खत्म कर दिया गया है। इसी तरह कमिशन, जूनियर कमिशन या अन्य अधिकारियों-फौजियों को न्यूनतम पे-बैंड के बजाय इन्हें न्यूनतम फिटमेंट टेबल के हिसाब से अब ज्यादा पेंशन मिलेगी। रिटायरमेंट के बाद जिन जूनियर कमीशन अधिकारियों या अन्य की मृत्यु हो गई है, उनके परिजनों को अब 30 प्रतिशत के बजाय अधिकतम 60 प्रतिशत तक के स्केल पर पेंशन मिलेगी। फैसले का एक और 'अच्छा' पहलू यह है कि जो लोग फौज के अलावा सिविल सेवा में भी रहे हैं, उन्हें दोनों ही ओर से रिटायरमेंट के बाद पेंशन मिल सकेगी।
रिटायर्ड सैन्यकर्मियों के लिए 'समान रैंक, समान पेंशन' को मंजूरी

OROP: Jubilation gives way to sceptism

Updated Sep 25, 2012 at 02:49pm IST
One rank one pension scheme: Jubilation gives way to scepticism
Surya Gangadharan, CNN-IBN
New Delhi: India's nearly 23 lakh ex-military personnel have a reason to celebrate. The government has finally conceded their demand for One Rank One Pension. It means that the military personnel will draw the pensions depending on the rank at which they retired, and not the date of their retirement.
The government's decision on Monday evening is set to bring on par those who retired before 2006 with those who retired afterwards.
The One Rank One Pension scheme will also grant dual family pensions and ensure pensions to the differently-abled wards of the defence personnel.
According to reports, the scheme will cost the government around Rs 2,300 crore per year.
While the ex-servicemen are jubilant, many of them remain sceptical.
General (retd) VK Singh said that while he was unaware of "what they have passed", the move was welcome and that it should have happened long time back.
Another Brigadier says that one must be willing to read the fine print. "The government says one thing and does another. It could be a welcome step if the government implements it," he says.
The scepticism of the Army officers is well-founded. The government has turned a blind eye and a deaf ear to what the ex-servicemen consider their legitimate right. And while there has been some relief for retired personnel, there's been no effort to address the concerns of the serving military personnel who feel shortchanged by the Sixth Pay Commission.
One rank one pension scheme: Jubilation gives way to scepticism
One rank, almost one pension!