Government Faces Military Heat on 'One Rank One Pension'

NEW DELHI: Files are being pushed back and forth with the Modi government now on the verge of clearing the ‘one rank, one pension’ proposal as pressure mounts with war veterans deciding to boycott government functions and ex-servicemen getting together for a big rally against the government on June 14. The government claims it is committed to OROP but the delay in announcing the implementation has created largescale disaffection and protest.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had won the support of the armed forces personnel with the promise of implementing the long standing demand of ‘one rank one pension’ that has, however, not seen the light of day. He had attacked the Congress government on the issue maintaining during the Lok Sabha campaign, “the government, which is sitting in Delhi has always been playing a farce with the Armed Forces.” He had added, “only our government will be able to implement it.”

But the government is clearly balking at the Rs 8600 crores required to bring this proposal up to speed from April 1 2014, not to mention the recurring expenses every year.Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar first lit a fire under the armed forces by saying that there was no time frame for the implementation of this proposal. Now, clearly under pressure, he has said that this will be done soon.

Ex-servicemen were expecting PM Modi to make an announcement of the same at his one year speech at Mathura but were disappointed as he did not even touch on the issue. Two war veterans Wing Commander (Retd) Suresh Karnik and Wing Commander (Retd) KV Bopardikar stepped up the pressure by boycotting a gallantry award function in Pune attended by Parrikar. Ex-servicemen are now organising a mammoth rally on the same issue next month.

The government is caught between the budgeting and the methodology of the implementation of OROP. Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley did not include the longstanding issue in his budget, telling reporters later that the delay was because of the methodology that was being worked out. However, patience has clearly run thin, more so as this issue was taken up as a major campaign plank by PM Modi and the BJP in the last elections.

Former Army Vice Chief Lt General Vijay Oberoi wrote for The Citizen highlighting , as he put it , “the ire of the military, especially the veterans, who are livid at the government for going back on its promises and delaying the grant of One Rank One Pension (OROP).” He wrote: “Over the last three decades, political leaders of all hues and colours have accepted that it is a legitimate demand of the military, as it is a compensation for forced early retirement of all ranks before reaching 60 years of age, which is applicable for all other government employees. However, on every occasion the bureaucracy had scuttled it. Finally, in February 2014 the UPA Government and later the present government sanctioned it, but highly inadequate funds have been allotted. Homilies and promises continue to be made, but there is an apparent freeze on funds, but only for OROP. What has hurt the veterans immensely is that while funds have been sanctioned for the unjustified Non Functional Financial Upgrades (NFFU) and for medical treatment abroad for the Civil Services, funds can not be found for the highly justified OROP!”