Ex-servicemen begin dharna at Jantar Mantar

About 70 ex-servicemen on Tuesday sat on a dharna at Jantar Mantar in the national Capital against the delay in implementation of the 'One Rank, One Pension' (OROP) scheme even as the relay hunger strike by retired soldiers on the issue entered its ninth day.

They demanded the government to fulfil the promises made with regard to <g data-gr-id="19">implementation</g> of the OROP scheme. The ex-servicemen wore black bands on their <g data-gr-id="17">arms,</g> while Sikh ex-servicemen even wore black bands on their turban. 

"We served the nation with all our heart, but when today we are having a hard time living on our meagre pension, the government is not hearing our grievances," Durga Dutta, who served in the Punjab regiment for 24 years, said.

Shiv Kumar Rana, a retired havildar who had served in the Kumaon regiment and works as a private security guard now, said it is difficult to manage with a pension of just Rs 15,000.

The Narendra Modi government has said it was committed to OROP, a key promise made during Lok Sabha polls. It is, however, yet to implement the scheme.

Around 22 lakh ex-servicemen and over six lakh war widows stand to be the immediate beneficiaries of the OROP scheme.