OROP _ clarification of doubts by Brig CS Vidyasagar

Indian Military Veterans

Dear Veterans,

I do agree annual increments in pension could have been considered. But that will not allow you to draw the same pension as your counterpart with the same rank and same length of service retired much later. 

The earlier system of pension fixation resulted in two Havildars getting different pensions. One Havildar retiring in Dec 2005 gets a lesser pension and the second Havildar retiring in Jan 2006 gets a much higher pension. That is why the agitation for OROP started four decades back.

Now how do you get the same pension irrespective of the date of retirement?

I am sure even in IAF, promotions are not given to all in the same year and all do not retire with the same number of increments and hence same pension. It is just not possible. Promotions are dependent upon the number of vacancies existing at any time. It is not possible to keep the number of vacancies the same as discharges are different each year.

Therefore your method is not going to be beneficial.

The Central Pay Commissions increase the pension of serving soldiers. For Officers it is the pension at Minimum Length of service. I a Brigadier with 32 years of service and my pension is fixed by CPC as if I put in only 20 years' service. What happens to my balance of 12 years' service? That is why we filed the first case OA 34/2016 to see that I get my pension of a Brigadier with 32 years' service who retired much later. Then only it is called OROP.  

Now you take any method to fix pensions to ensure whether one retired in 1986 or 2026 get the same pension if the rank is same, length of service is same and group X or Y is same.

You will not be achieve it due to so many factors.The best method to my mind is the average method. Therefore if someone draws less pension because his number of increments are less due to delayed promotion and one gets higher pension because there were vacancies and got promoted earlier and earned more increments. The logical method of fixation of pension is to arrive at Average. This is the best scientific method.

Now let us see what is the result of OROP - II and how much gain is there for each rank with 33 years of service. 

Ser No Rank Pension in OROP - 1 Pension in OROP - II Increase in Pension by Existing OROP Method Increase in Pension by 7.5% 1 Sepoy 17,699 19,726 11.45 7.50 2 Naik 18,427 21,101 14.51 7.50 3 Havildar 20,066 21,782 8.55 7.50 4 Nb Sub 24,232 26,800 10.60 7.50 5 Sub Maj 33,526 37,600 12.15 7.50 6 Major 61,205 68,550 12.00 7.50 7 Lt Col 84,330 95,400 13.13 7.50 7 Colonel 92,855 1,03,700 11.68 7.50 8 Brigadier 96,555 1,08,800 12.68 7.50 9 Maj Gen 99,621 1,09,100 9.52 7.50 10 Lt Gen 1,01,515 1,12,050 10.38 7.50 

Look at poor Major who are fixed pension whether one has put in 22 years of service or 33 years of service. In spite of this, Majors in 2019 will get a higher pension because one Major retired with a higher pension. But if they are also given 3% per year then this anomaly would not have arisen. Let us see the Hon'ble Supreme court while dismissing the pleas of Min of Def asked them to take decision on anomalies of Justice L Narasimha Reddy report within four months. Hope the pensions of all ranks get improved. Even Sepoys to Sub Majs with longer service have suffered with lesser pension due to the Average method.

Seeing this we can say once you arrive at an Average pension that should be the minimum pension in OROP. All those with longer service should be given a benefit of 3% per year. This is just common sense.,