Indian Military Veterans
CHANDIGARH: The eight lakh-odd ex-servicemen of Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh have gone from joyous celebration to angry resentment in just two-and-a-half months, thanks to the UPA government not keeping its word on the one-rank-one-pension (OROP) scheme.
The government had promised to get OROP off the ground on April 1, just before elections were announced with an initial allocation of Rs 500 crore to meet the needs till July. More than a month later, there is no sign of it in the bank accounts of ex-servicemen, which has led them to question the government's intentions.
Secretary general of War Decorated India (WDI), Captain (retd.) Reet Mohindar Paul Singh of Patiala said, "They are befooling us. We were expecting it from April 1 but nothing has transpired. The delay shows that ex-servicemen have always been the last priority for governments."
High court lawyer, Major Navdeep Singh said, "Officials of the Defence Accounts department and lower level bureaucrats in MoD are known to confuse the top leadership even on approved beneficial schemes for the military. Their aim is to delay and deny till eternity."
President, the all India Defence Brotherhood, Brigadier (retd) Harwant Singh added, "It is frustrating. If the present government failed to pass any executive order, the next government may examine the issue afresh causing more delay."
Vice-chairman of Defence Services Officers Institute (DSOI) Chandigarh, Brigadier (retd) M S Dullat feels the soldiers have been taken for a ride. "They tried to woo us for votes just before the elections and now are trying to pass the buck on the next government," he said.
However, chairman of Indian Ex-Servicemen Movement (IESM) Lt Gen (retd) Raj Kadyan who met the defence minister on Saturday told TOI that the he had been assured the draft on implementing OROP would be ready within three weeks. "OROP was announced on the floor of the House and the next government could not afford a countrywide protest from the defence fraternity," he said.
The scheme was announced by finance minister P Chidambaram on February 17. On February 27, the ministry of defence (MOD) was ordered to implement OROP from April 1. Following this announcement, ex-servicemen were expecting enhanced pensions during the tenure of present government.
OROP implies payment of uniform pension to personnel retiring on the same rank with the same length of service irrespective of their date of retirement.
Source Times of IndiaPlease click here
CHANDIGARH: The eight lakh-odd ex-servicemen of Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh have gone from joyous celebration to angry resentment in just two-and-a-half months, thanks to the UPA government not keeping its word on the one-rank-one-pension (OROP) scheme.
The government had promised to get OROP off the ground on April 1, just before elections were announced with an initial allocation of Rs 500 crore to meet the needs till July. More than a month later, there is no sign of it in the bank accounts of ex-servicemen, which has led them to question the government's intentions.
Secretary general of War Decorated India (WDI), Captain (retd.) Reet Mohindar Paul Singh of Patiala said, "They are befooling us. We were expecting it from April 1 but nothing has transpired. The delay shows that ex-servicemen have always been the last priority for governments."
High court lawyer, Major Navdeep Singh said, "Officials of the Defence Accounts department and lower level bureaucrats in MoD are known to confuse the top leadership even on approved beneficial schemes for the military. Their aim is to delay and deny till eternity."
President, the all India Defence Brotherhood, Brigadier (retd) Harwant Singh added, "It is frustrating. If the present government failed to pass any executive order, the next government may examine the issue afresh causing more delay."
Vice-chairman of Defence Services Officers Institute (DSOI) Chandigarh, Brigadier (retd) M S Dullat feels the soldiers have been taken for a ride. "They tried to woo us for votes just before the elections and now are trying to pass the buck on the next government," he said.
However, chairman of Indian Ex-Servicemen Movement (IESM) Lt Gen (retd) Raj Kadyan who met the defence minister on Saturday told TOI that the he had been assured the draft on implementing OROP would be ready within three weeks. "OROP was announced on the floor of the House and the next government could not afford a countrywide protest from the defence fraternity," he said.
The scheme was announced by finance minister P Chidambaram on February 17. On February 27, the ministry of defence (MOD) was ordered to implement OROP from April 1. Following this announcement, ex-servicemen were expecting enhanced pensions during the tenure of present government.
OROP implies payment of uniform pension to personnel retiring on the same rank with the same length of service irrespective of their date of retirement.
Source Times of IndiaPlease click here
Exp:55%
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