What is One Rank, One Pension of Armed forces?
The Minister of State for External Affairs General V K Singh on Monday reiterated again that Modi government is committed for 'one rank, one pension' scheme for ex-servicemen.
"The BJP-led government at the Centre has allotted Rs 1,000 crore for the implementation of one rank one pension scheme, which is insufficient. I have requested the Finance Minister to allocate more funds for it. The government remains committed to implement the scheme at the earliest," Singh said in Mumbai. [Pros and cons of One Rank One Pension scheme]
What is the OROP?
• ‘OROP' implies equal amount of pension for having served in the same rank and also having rendered the same length of service. [Govt dedicated to One Rank One Pension, says PM Narendra Modi]
• For an example, a Sepoy who retired in 1995 would get the same amount of pension as the one who retired in 1996.
Pay commission makes thing worse
•
Discontent
among
ex-servicemen
is
largely
because
of
the
reason
that
with
every
successive
pay
commission
the
gap
between
past
pensioners
and
their
younger
equivalents
grows
further.
[One
Rank
One
Pension
issue:
War
veterans
boycott
govt
functions]
•
According
to
Lt
Gen
Raj
Kadyan,
who
is
the
chairman
of
Indian
Ex
Servicemen
Movement,
"The
stark
difference
can
be
seen
after
implementation
of
the
Sixth
Pay
Commission".
•
He
further
says,
"for
equal
service,
a
Sepoy,
who
retired
prior
to
1996,
gets
82%
lower
pension
than
a
Sepoy
who
retires
after
2006.
Similarly,
among
officers,
a
pre-1996
Major
gets
53%
lower
pension
than
his
post
2006
counterpart".
What Judiciary says on the matter?
•
"Pension
is
not
a
bounty
nor
a
matter
of
grace
depending
upon
the
sweet
will
of
the
employer.
It
is
not
an
ex-gratia
payment,
but
a
payment
for
past
services
rendered",
the
Supreme
Court
in
its
1983
ruling
had
stated.
•
Even
the
Chandigarh
Bench
of
the
Armed
Forces
Tribunal
had
accepted
this
demand
of
ex-servicemen.
•
In
2010
ruling,
the
court
had
said
that
the
State
can't
adopt
different
criteria
for
the
scheme
on
the
basis
of
cut-off
date
of
retirement
•
And
if
that
is
being
done
then
that
will
be
considered
as
the
violation
of
Article
14
which
gives
a
person
constitutional
right
to
be
treated
equal
before
law.
2001 Parliamentary panel recommendations
•
The
Standing
Committee
on
Defence
had
submitted
the
report
regarding
the
issue
in
2001.
•
According
to
report,
the
Third
Pay
Commission
in
1973
had
abolished
this
scheme
and
till
then
it
had
been
in
vogue.
•
Had
acknowledged
that
servicemen
had
to
go
through
with
tough
service
conditions
i.e
high
risk
to
life
and
disturbed
family
life.
•
The
Committee
had
questioned
that
when
it
was
successfully
ran
for
26
years
after
the
independence
then
what
was
the
problem
in
implementing
it
further.
BJP seems in mood to walk the talk
•
It
was
a
part
of
BJP's
manifesto.
•
Prime
Minister
Narendra
Modi
had
reiterated
about
the
scheme
so
many
times
during
his
election
campaign.
•
The
BJP
Government
allocated
Rs
1,000
crore
for
the
scheme
in
Union
Budget.
For years, Congress bluffed only
•
In
theory,
UPA
Government
had
accepted
the
scheme
many
a
times
but
didn't
implement.
•
During
interim
budget
2014,
former
Finance
Minister
had
earmarked
Rs
500
crore
for
the
same,
though
aimed
to
get
dividends
in
Lok
sabha
election.
•
BJP
termed
it
a
bluff,
saying
they
only
believe
in
lip-service.
•
Finance
Minister
Arun
Jaitley
had
said,
"This
year
again,
in
the
budget
speech,
the
former
finance
minister
announced
the
acceptance
of
this
demand.
However,
again
the
ex-servicemen
have
been
bluffed.
No
notification
has
been
issued
to
give
enforcement
effect
to
this
demand,".