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Govt. announces OROP, but veterans decide to continue stir

Veterans Finally Satisfied With OROP After Clarifications by Defence Minister -The New Indian Express

This government has done some exceptional work in the past year or so... Especially sealing the Indo-Bangla border deal giving relief to more than 50,000 people who had no nationality for decades... peace treaty with the Nagaland rebels and now this OROP
Bhai no matter how much you show them the reality,there are some people in India who just won't accept the fact that this NDA Govt. means business unlike the previous one:rolleyes:.Amra Bharatiyo ra specially Bangali ra(Bangali bollam karon most of the vocal critics of this Govt. are Bengalis) je ki chai ta amra nijerai beshir bhaag somoy bujhte pari na:hitwall:!It's the sad reality of our country bro:angry:!!
 
Bhai no matter how much you show them the reality,there are some people in India who just won't accept the fact that this NDA Govt. means business unlike the previous one:rolleyes:.Amra Bharatiyo ra specially Bangali ra(Bangali bollam karon most of the vocal critics of this Govt. are Bengalis) je ki chai ta amra nijerai beshir bhaag somoy bujhte pari na:hitwall:!It's the sad reality of our country bro:angry:!!
Ekdom rightly said.Years after years worthless political talking(As eta Bengali der daily habit) we elect illiterate & immature goonda goondis to rule us..Most of the Bengalis are hypocrites..
 
Bhai no matter how much you show them the reality,there are some people in India who just won't accept the fact that this NDA Govt. means business unlike the previous one:rolleyes:.Amra Bharatiyo ra specially Bangali ra(Bangali bollam karon most of the vocal critics of this Govt. are Bengalis) je ki chai ta amra nijerai beshir bhaag somoy bujhte pari na:hitwall:!It's the sad reality of our country bro:angry:!!

Precisely why you need to target only those who are open to logic and not against you out of sheer hatred. ABV made similar mistakes trying to appeal to those who'd never vote for him, in the process antagonized his core base.

We can only hope Modi does not repeat those mistakes - among the many others that ABV unfortunately made.
 
Veterans Finally Satisfied With OROP After Clarifications by Defence Minister
By IANS

Published: 05th September 2015 09:00 PM

Last Updated: 05th September 2015 09:39 PM

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  • Parrikar-PTI.jpg


    Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar. | (File/PTI)
NEW DELHI: Putting an end to months of speculation, the government on Saturday announced it will be implementing 'One Rank One Pension' (OROP) for the armed forces. The veterans initially said they were not satisfied with the scheme, but later, after a meeting with Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, accepted the government version.

The defence minister, making the much awaited announcement at a press conference called at short notice, said: "Despite the huge fiscal burden, given its commitment to the welfare of ex-servicemen, the Government has taken a decision to implement the OROP."

Parrikar said an order implementing the scheme was likely to come in a fortnight to a month.

The minister squarely blamed the previous Congress-led government for miscalculations on OROP, and said it led to the delay in its implementation.

He also quoted a reply by a former minister of state for defence in parliament in 2009, who had said "there are administrative, technical and financial difficulties in implementing OROP".

"It is for these reasons that the present government took some time to fulfill its promise," he said.

Parrikar also urged the veterans to give up the agitation and resume the role they have been playing in nation-building.

"Prime Minister Modi has fulfilled his commitment... I would like to mention that the contribution of military veterans in nation-building in the past 67 years has been immeasurable. Now that OROP is hopefully behind us, I urge the veterans to contribute to the vital task of nation-building and development," the minister said.

While initially the veterans said the announcement made by the government did not satisfy them, later, after a meeting with Parrikar, the issues were sorted out.

Maj. Gen. Satbir Singh (retd) told reporters after the meeting that they discussed the issue of OROP being denied to those who take premature retirement.

"Premature retirement was the one point we wanted to discuss. The defence minister verbally confirmed there is no VRS in armed forces, there is just premature retirement," said the retired major general.

"He will talk with the prime minister and let us know in a few days. Till that time, we will also talk with the core group and decide tomorrow (Sunday) whether to take the agitation forward," he said.

Asked if they were satisfied, Maj. Gen. Singh said: "After this statement, yes, we are satisfied."

Earlier on Saturday, the veterans said they were not "fully satisfied" with what was being given, exclusion of those who take voluntary retirement being a major issue.

Parrikar in his press conference said "personnel who voluntarily retire will not be covered under the OROP scheme", even as he later told reporters that those who retire with injuries will be "protected".

The estimated cost to the exchequer for the scheme will be Rs.8,000-10,000 crore(1.5 billion dollar), and the arrears will amount to around Rs.12,000 crore.

The scheme announced by the government will take 2013 as the base year to calculate pensions.

"Pensions will be re-fixed for all pensioners retiring in the same rank and with same length of service as the average of minimum and maximum pension in 2013," Parrikar said.

Those drawing pension above the average will be protected.

Parrikar said the government came to power on May 26, 2014 and the budget came in June, so the date of implementation will be immediately after that, which was July 1, 2014.

The period for review is five years, something that has been a major sticking point.

The arrears are to be paid in four instalments, at a gap of every six months.

To war widows, the arrears will be given in one instalment.

Minister of State for Defence Rao Inderjit Singh said veterans above 60 years of age will also get arrears in one go.

Announcing the scheme, Parrikar said the government was dedicated to the scheme which has been pending for "40 years".

"The issue of OROP has been pending for nearly four decades. It is a matter of deep anguish that various governments remained ambivalent on the issue of OROP," said Parrikar.

In the government press conference, Parrikar blamed the previous Congress-led government, saying they promised implementation of OROP in 2014-15, but "did not specify what OROP would be, how it will be implemented or how much it will cost".

"An estimated Rs.500 crore provided for OROP in the budget presented in February 2014 by the then government was not based on any calculation," he said.

"The reality, however, is that to implement OROP the estimated cost to the exchequer would be Rs.8,000 to Rs.10,000 crore at present, and will increase further in future," he said.

Currently the pension bill of the defence ministry stands at Rs. 54,000 crore.


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Now go burn in shame you all BJP haters
 
Seriously ? No member of the government approached them ? They were holding meetings like twice a day with officials from PMO even today before announcement RM met them .

Demands like yearly revision are completely ridiculous and holding the government ransom for the same is an overstretch by any measure even for veterans.Though some genuine concerns like that of VRS vets should be clarified
No govt official informed them as to the OROP statement(what it might contain) . Brg Singh said so on TV , As to them holding meetings twice a day with the PMO? Any link? Cuz the main bone of contention which the Retired personnel had was that no one was keeping them in the loop.
 
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I think all major issues with OROP is settled now and Veterans expressing satisfaction on it. What remains in minor issues which will be dealt by committee. Finally OROP is happening and as I belong to a family where every 2nd person is in defence( not only military) so Its a big day for me and my family.
 
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