“The government is hell bent on short changing. There are only three points of contention,” a source said. A key functionary of the ex-servicemen community said, “We have rejected the proposal. <g data-gr-id="38">Escalation</g> of our protest in expected. The complicated arithmetic will mean reduced payout.”
The development came on a day when Prime <g data-gr-id="28">MInister</g> Narendra Modi held consultations with his key Cabinet ministers on “overall situation” in the country arising out of politically charged issues including OROP.
According to sources, the government wants 2011 to be the base year, besides no three <g data-gr-id="31">per cent</g> annual increase. The government also wants <g data-gr-id="33">payment</g> to begin from April 1, 2015, against the agreed April 1, 2014. “We have rejected the proposal. The escalation of our protest in expected. The complicated arithmetic will mean reduced payout,” the source said. The development came after nearly a two-hour-long meeting held between representatives of ex-servicemen and Army chief General Dalbir Singh Suhag.
Government sources have now said that in the wake of these differences, an announcement on OROP in the next few days is unlikely.
It was speculated that the government might announce OROP on August 28, the 50th anniversary of 1965 war with Pakistan. This comes even as six Army veterans are on fast-unto-death and two of them are in <g data-gr-id="35">hospital</g>. The Army veterans currently on fast-unto-death are – Colonel Pushpender Singh, Havaldar Major Singh, Havaldar Sahib Singh, Havaldar Ashok Chauhan, Major <g data-gr-id="30">Piar</g> Chand and Naik Uday Singh.
Close to 22 lakh retired servicemen and over six lakh war widows stand to be the immediate beneficiaries of the scheme, which envisages a uniform pension for the defence personnel, who retire in the same rank with the same length of service, irrespective of their date of retirement.
I have faith in Modi: VK Singh on OROP
Union minister and former Army Chief General (<g data-gr-id="48">retd</g>) VK Singh on Wednesday said he has firm faith in PM Narendra Modi who had taken a pledge to implement ‘One Rank, One Pension’ scheme for ex-servicemen. Union MoS for Foreign Affairs Singh was at village Bhondsi after unveiling a statue of Kumarpal Singh, who attained martyrdom on December 19, <g data-gr-id="46">2013</g> while serving in South Sudan under the UN Mission.