Announces Rs 80,000 crore package for Jammu & Kashmir
Srinagar/Jammu : In a bid to reach out to people of Jammu and Kashmir, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday invoked Atal Bihari Vajpayee and announced a Rs 80,000 crore package saying funds would not be a constraint in building a modern, progressive and prosperous state. Recalling the words of the former Prime Minister, “Kashmiriyat, Jam-hooriyat aur Insaniyat’ (Kashmiri culture, democracy, and humanity), he said, “I will like to follow these three mantras which are the pillars of development of Kashmir”.
Addressing a public meeting at the heavily-guarded Sher-e-Kashmir cri-cket stadium, the Prime Minister did not make any reference to the stalled dialogue process with Pakistan or initiating a talks with separatists as was widely expected by his alliance partner PDP and rivals. “I don’t need advice or analysis from anyone in this world on Kashmir. The three mantras of Atalji and these will be helpful in moving forward. Kashmiriyat ke bina Hindustan adhura hai. (Without Kashmiriyat, India is incomplete). Sufi tradition has emerged from this land and this tradition has taught us oneness and strength of unity,” he said. Reacting to his speech, former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said Modi invoked Vajpayee used the Srinagar platform in a difficult situation to reach out to Pakistan and start a dialogue process with the Hurriyat Conference.
“…in front of him (PM), Mufti Mohammad Sayeed talked about starting dialogue. The Prime Minister did not listen to Mufti Sahib. What is Mufti Sahib doing when his words did not stand for few minutes? Where is the agenda of alliance (of PDP and BJP)?” he told reporters. Ahead of Prime Minister’s speech, Sayeed said “Vajpayee had extended a hand of friendship to Pakistan and we had 10 years of peace. If India has to grow big…India, the elder brother, has to extend a hand of friendship to the younger brother (Pakistan).” In his second public meeting in Kashmir after becoming the Prime Minister, Modi announced the package and said that this is not a full stop as ‘our hearts are also open for you’.
“The Centre announces Rs 80,000 crore package to the state. It’s my heart-felt desire that this money will be helpful in turning your fate. This money should be used for converting the state into a new Jammu and Kashmir which is modern, prosperous and progressive state. “This is not a full stop. This Rs 80,000 crore is not a full stop. It’s rather a beginning…Dilli ka khazana aap ke liye hai, Dilli ka khazana hee nahi, dil bhi aap ke liye hazir hai (The treasury is for you. Not only our treasury, but our heart also beats for you),” said Modi, who was flanked by Chief Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari and Jitendra Singh and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti.
“The dreams of two generations have been lost in last two decades. But I am an optimist and would like to move ahead and covert Jammu and Kashmir into a modern and developed state,” he said. “Kashmir has seen a lot of crisis over the past 20 years. Dreams of two generations have been shattered. I have set out to make Kashmir paradise on earth again, to make it prosperous. I have belief in Mufti Sahib…. I have belief in you. Otherwise, we would not see such an atmosphere (at the rally),” he added.
OROP notified, 25 lakh war veterans, widows to benefit
New Delhi : The long-pending ‘One-Rank- One-Pension Scheme’ for ex-servicemen was on Saturday night brought into force with government issuing a notification which will benefit over 25 lakh veterans and war widows. However, the protesting ex-servicemen rejected the notification, saying their main demands have not been accepted and it has become ‘one-rank-five-pension.’ The notification is almost similar to the announcement made by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on September 5. To begin with, pension would be re-fixed on the basis of pension of retirees of calendar year 2013 and the benefit will be effective with effect from July 1, 2014.
The veterans had demanded that the period for pension should be financial year 2013-14 and not the calendar year. Also, they wanted April 1 as the effective date instead of July 1. The notification said that in future, the pension would be re-fixed every 5 years. However, ex-servicemen had been demanding revision of pension every two years, if not one. In his immediate reaction to the notification, Maj Gen (Retd) Satbir Singh, Chairman of Indian Ex-Servicemen Movement spearheading the protest, said “the notification will not be acceptable to the rank and file. It is not One-Rank-One- Pension but One-Rank-Five-Pension”. Another key element of the notification is that the armed forces personnel who opt to get discharged on their request would henceforth not get OROP benefits. “It will be effective prospectively,” Defence Ministry spokesperson Sitanshu Kar tweeted.
The statement said the previous government had made a budget announcement to implement the OROP and made a provision of Rs 500 crore. “The present government undertook the task earnestly and realised that the actual additional annual expenditure would be Rs 8,000 to 10,000 crore at present and will increase further in future. Notwithstanding the financial constraints, true to its commitment, the present government has issued the government order to implement the OROP in true spirit,” a statement by the Defence Ministry said. The notification said pension will be re-fixed for all pensioners on the basis of the average of minimum and maximum pension of personnel retiring in 2013 in the same rank and with the same length of service. It added that pension for those drawing above the average shall be protected. The veterans had demanded to take into account the maximum and not the average. It said that the arrears will be paid in four equal half yearly instalments. However, all family pensioners, including those in receipt of Special/Liberalised family pensioners, and gallantry award winners shall be paid arrears in one instalment.
An important element in the notification was that personnel who opt to get discharged henceforth on their own request under Rule 13(3)1(i)(b), 13(3)1(iv) or Rule 16B of the Army Rule 1954 or equivalent Navy or Air Force Rules will not be entitled to the benefits of OROP. It will be effective prospectively. The government has decided to appoint a Judicial Committee to look into anomalies, if any, arising out of implementation of OROP. The Judicial Committee will submit its report in six months. Detailed instructions along with tables indicating revised pension for each rank and each category, shall be issued separately for updation of pension and payment of arrears directly by Pension Disbursing Agencies.
Meanwhile, Maj Gen (retd) Singh said, “If it is revision every 5 years and average of the scale then it is not acceptable. This is not One Rank One Pension, but One Rank Five Pension. This is against what Parliament had announced”. He questioned why the government has announced July 1 as the effective date. By not announcing it as April 1, the government is trying to deprive the veterans and war widows of the funds. “At the face of it, we find this notification highly irrational,” he said. Col (retd) Anil Kaul, Media Advisor to IESM said not all demands were met by the government, but there was a climb down on the premature retirement. He, however, added that he had not read the notification.
NaMo has no time for Maharashtra: Vikhe Patil
Mumbai:Leader of Opposition RadhaKrishan Vikhe Patil criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement of Rs 80,000 crore package to Jammu and Kashmir. After Bihar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday announced a Rs. 80,000 crore package for Jammu and Kashmir and said it should be used to transform the state, devastated by floods last year, into a modern, progressive and prosperous one. “Modi also announced a packaged of about one lakh crore to the Bihar before the Bihar assembly election, but he has no time to visit Maharashtra to review draught situation in state,” Vikhe-Patil said. “The central government is distributing packages to other states and here for Maharashtra there is nothing. The farmers are committing suicide due to the draught and debt. Central government has time to look to them,” he said. ‘All the politics of the government is moving only around the elections and where there is election the government helps the state financially,” Vikhe Patil alleged.
