The agitating ex-servicemen and the government seem to have ironed out some major differences over the contentious issue of ‘one rank one pension’ (OROP) with the defence veterans, saying that they might accept revision of pension once in two years, instead of one year as demanded by them.
A high-ranking official said tonight that a decision on OROP can be expected “very soon”, amid indications that an announcement may come by this weekend.
War veteran Maj Gen (<g data-gr-id="36">retd</g>) Satbir Singh, who has been leading the protest in Jantar Mantar for the last 80 days, said they have got positive signals from the government for the last few days but stopped short of saying there was a breakthrough.
Singh said the issue was non-negotiable and both the elements of the OROP concept cannot <g data-gr-id="43">be interfered</g>. An agreement can be reached once we know what is on the platter (offer by the government), he said, adding that effective date of revision must be from April 1, 2014.
Independent MP Rajeev Chandrasekhar, who has been mediating on the issue, said it was time veterans must return home with honour and grace by reaching an early settlement. He urged them to accept the revision of pension every three years.
Singh said: “We will not agree to a three-year revision. We have made it clear that we can only settle down to two years of revision and not beyond that.” He added that no fresh proposal has come from the government’s side in this regard.
Meanwhile, the government, which refrained from setting a timeline for resolving the issue, said that it is committed to <g data-gr-id="39">implementing</g> the promise, expressing confidence that a solution “acceptable to all” will be found “very soon”.
“We will deliver OROP sooner than later to the satisfaction of all. We will do what is justifiable, what is convincing. After all, we are doing justice to society as a whole...I am not a <g data-gr-id="45">jyotishi</g> (astrologer) to tell you the exact date. <g data-gr-id="37">Final</g> solution you will see in few days,” said Union Minister Prakash Javadekar.
Rejecting <g data-gr-id="34">contention</g> that the government was losing <g data-gr-id="35">faith</g> of ex-servicemen, he said he was sure that both sides will see reason. “We will deliver what we have promised,” he <g data-gr-id="33">said,</g> but deflected questions on whether the government will implement OROP in toto, as promised.
He said updation of pension every year is an issue. “Fine capability of politics is to avoid both resentment and financial strain,” he said.