'Modi may announce one-rank one-pension later this month'

Kolkata, May 19: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to make an announcement later this month on ex-servicemen's long-pending demand of one-rank one-pension, Minister of State for Defence Rao Inderjit Singh said here on Tuesday.

The minister told media persons that since coming to power in May last year the National Democratic Alliance consulted all stakeholders on the issue and then arrived at a decision.

"We came to power in May last year. Over the past one year we have consulted political parties, all stakeholders on one-rank one-pension, whether they are servicemen or ex-servicemen ," he said.

"After having consulted everybody, a decision has been taken and the announcement of the decision is most likely to be made by the prime minister this month," Singh said on the sidelines of a ceremony held to launch the fourth and last anti-submarine warfare ship being made for the Indian Navy.

The minister said the issue was discussed and debated over the past two years and during the 2014 general election campaign the parties now in power had promised to solve the issue after talking to all stakeholders.

The "one rank, one pension" demand implies payment of a uniform pension to personnel retiring in the same rank with the same length of service, irrespective of their date of retirement.

IANS