One Rank One Pension

• The Centre’s decision to fulfill ex-servicemen’s long-pending demand for One Rank, One Pension (OROP) received a less than enthusiastic acceptance from veterans who refused to end their agitation over disputing aspects, including exclusion of premature retirees.
• The government’s decision to roll out the welfare measure from July 1, 2014, with 2013 as the base year for fixing the first pension under it was greeted by the ex-servicemen as a satisfactory step but put question marks on six other elements of the scheme.

WHAT GOVT GAVE:

• OROP to be implemented from July 1, 2014
• Those who took VRS not to be covered
• Pension review after five years
• One-member judicial panel to look into interests; submit report in six months

WHAT VETERANS WANT:

• Premature retirees should also be included in the scheme.
• Review the pension after every two years
• Include 3 veterans and one serving officer each of military and Defence Ministry; report in a month

THE OROP COST:

• The annual burden of the OROP will be about Rs 8,000 cr to Rs 10,000 cr
• OROP arrears will be paid in four half-yearly installments
• All widows, including war widows, will be paid arrears in one installment
• The current pension bill of the Defence Ministry stands at Rs 54,000 crore
• Nearly 22 lakh retired servicemen and over six lakh war widows stand to benefit from the scheme

By: Vishal