One Rank One Pension: Rajya Sabha Press Release

Parliament of India 
(Rajya Sabha Secretariat) 
Press Release 
Hundred and Forty-second Report on the petition praying for grant   of one rank one pension 
to the armed forces personnel. 
The Committee on Petitions of Rajya Sabha under the Chairmanship of Shri Bhagat Singh Koshyari, MP, 
presented its Hundred and Forty-second Report to the Rajya Sabha on 19th
 December, 2011 on the petition praying 
for grant of one rank one pension to the armed forces personnel.   
2. The Petition was submitted by Shri Sanjay Prabhu and others, resident of Bangalore and countersigned by 
Rajeev Chandrasekhar, MP, Rajya Sabha. 
3. The Committee during the course of its deliberations  interacted with the petitioners, representatives of 
Departments of Ex-servicemen Welfare (M/o Defence), Expenditure (M/o Finance) and Pensions and Pensioner's 
Welfare (M/o Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions) and some organizations/individuals.     
4. Following are the important recommendations of the Committee:- 
4.1  The Committee has taken note of the fact that  a sum of Rs.1300 crores is the total financial 
liability for the year 2011-12 in case OROP is implemented fully for all the defence personnel in the 
country across the board.  The Committee was informed that out of this,  1065 crores would go to 
retirees belonging to Post Below Officer Ranks (PBOR) while the Commissioned Officers would be 
getting the remaining i.e.  235 crores.  The Committee felt that  1300 crores is not a very big amount 
for a country of our size and economy for meeting the long pending demand of the armed forces of the 
country.  The Committee understand that this  1300 crores is the expenditure for one year which 
might increase at the rate of 10 percent annually.  Even if it is so, the Committee does not consider this 
amount to be high, keeping in view the objective for which it would be spent.   
(Para 11 of the Report) 
4.2  The Committee was not convinced with the version of the Ministry of Finance that the grant of 
OROP to the defence personnel would eventually  generate similar requests from the civilian work 
force of the country under the Central Government and the State Governments.  The Committee 
feels so because of the quite different terms and conditions of service of the two different categories of 
employments.  The terms and conditions of armed forces are tougher and harsher than the civilian 
Government employee.  On the issue of returning of service medals by the defence personnel of our 
country to the President of India in view of the Governments' apathetic attitude towards their demand 
of grant of OROP,  the Committee was of the view that our defence personnel should not feel 
alienated to this extent again and they are not forced to surrender their hard earned service medals in 
this manner to exhibit their discontent with the government policies.  
(Para 11.2 of the Report) 
4.3  The Committee also felt that the decision of the Government to bring our defence personnel on 
the pattern of the civilians with regard to their pay, pension, etc. (from Third Central Pay Commission 
onwards) is not a considered decision which has  caused hardship to the defence personnel and has 
given birth to their demand for OROP.  The Committee understand that before the Third Central Pay 
Commission, the defence personnel were getting their pay / pension on the basis of separate criteria 
unconnected with the criteria devised for the civilian work force. That criteria acknowledged and 
covered the concept of OROP which has been given up after the Third Central Pay Commission.   
(Para 11.4 of the Report) 
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