OROP will be implemented soon: V K Singh

Bhopal, Aug 17: Former Army Chief and Minister of State (MoS) for External Affairs, Gen (Retd) V K Singh said on Monday that the issue of One Rank One Pension (OROP) will be implemented soon after a few technical difficulties are resolved and the BJP has high regards for armymen.

"The OROP would be resolved soon since Prime Minister Narendra Modi has himself said that the demand has been accepted. Besides, BJP always had high regards for armymen.

There are some technical difficulties being sorted out so that it won't get into any legal wrangle," he told reporters here.

The minister was here to take stock of ongoing preparations for the World Hindi Conference scheduled to be held in the the Madhya Pradesh state capital from September 10 to September 12.

He said that in 2011, when the scheme was being worked out, total expenses was calculated at about Rs 3,200 crore, but the Congress-led government's policies were such that nothing happened.

"Now OROP will have an expenditure of more than Rs 8,000 crore," the minister said. However, he said that it is not possible to give "any time frame" for implementing OROP.

"I am of the opinion that India is a prosperous nation and capable of incurring this expenditure of Rs 8,000 crore," he said.

He said that the Prime Minister himself had said in his "Mann Ki Baat" programme that he would ensure that the scheme won't get into legal wrangles and assured that soon a decision will be taken to implement it.

Referring to manhandling of retired soldiers at Jantar Mantar by the Delhi Police, he said that soldiers are supposed to obey orders given to them.

He blamed the New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) which uprooted their tents and other paraphernalia. There was no need for retired defence personnel to stage protests since it can be sorted out only through discussions, he said.

PTI