OROP: Announcement on scheme likely soon, says Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore

Jaipur, Aug 14: An announcement on 'One Rank, One Pension' may be made soon, a Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore said here today amid mounting pressure from ex-servicemen on the demand.

"We are committed to the ex-servicemen and announcement for the 'One-Rank, One-Pension' (OROP) may be made soon,” Rathore told reporters.

With regard to opposition attack on the government over the issue, he said the issue has been pending since 1970s but the previous governments, including those of

, did nothing about it. "We have just done 18 months in power.

Wait and watch. A lot of (things) will happen," Rathore said in the party headquarters here. "'One-Rank, One-Pension' started somewhere in 1970s.

Till now the UPA and Congress did not do anything... PM had announced complete support to the 'One-Rank, One-Pension'," the minister said.

He, however, did not divulge further details saying the issue should be left here only. His comments came amid continuing protests by ex-servicemen, who are on a sit-in for almost two months now at Jantar Mantar.

Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal visited the protest site today and insisted that the government should urgently implement the promise it had made to the ex-servicemen on OROP.

Expectations are high that Prime Minister Narendra Modi may speak on the issue in his Independence Day address tomorrow.

PTI