Even as Modi claims issue has been resolved, ex-servicemen agitation sowballs
New Delhi : Ex-servicemen on Tuesday escalated their protest against the dilution of the ‘One Rank, One Pension’ scheme even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi sought to calm down the military veterans by saying that the issue has been ‘resolved’ and that any anomaly relating to it can be taken up with the judicial committee set up by the government. He also patted himself on the back and claimed that his government was the first to have set up a committee to make the OROP scheme “foolproof.” So, as Modi celebrated Diwali with troops for the second consecutive year, the veterans took out a march from Jantar Mantar to Rashtrapati Bhavan which was later thwarted by the Delhi police. The veterans said they are unhappy with the OROP package announced by the government, as per which the pensions will be equalised every five years. The ex-servicemen want pensions to be equalised every year. Also, the OROP notification says soldiers, who opt for premature retirement or leave the forces without completing their full term, will not qualify for OROP. The veterans are opposed to this.
Some protesters on Wednesday also tried to burn their medals but were prevented by the other members from doing so. “The OROP scheme was cleared by Parliament. Then why were the changes made in the scheme? Why did they put conditions?” Group Captain V K Gandhi asked, and accused the government of cheating them. Modi, however, said that he wanted to see his “dream” of OROP being implemented in a meaningful manner. The Prime Minister on Wednesday paid surprise visits to three military installations close to the Indo-Pak border — the Dograi War Memorial in Khasa, the Asal Uttar Memorial near Valtoha and the Barki War Memorial in Ferozepur district in Punjab, and interacted with the troops.
