One Rank One Pension Scheme for Ex-servicemen: All eyes on PM’s Mathura Rally

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to announce implementation of the one rank one pension (OROP) scheme concerning ex-servicemen at his rally in Mathura on Monday to mark one year of his government.

Defence ministry sources on Sunday said modalities relating to the long-pending demand of ex-servicemen have been thrashed out.

They said the prime minister could make an announcement about OROP at the rally in Mathura to mark one year of the National Democratic Alliance government. [Read at Zee News]

Before this One-rank, one-pension issue: Rahul Gandhi meets ex-servicemen

NEW DELHI: May 23, 2015 Attacking the government over non-implementation of ‘one-rank, one-pension’ scheme, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said he will “pressurise” the Centre to act on the issue at the earliest.

After meeting a delegation from the ex-servicemen cell of the party, Gandhi said the UPA government had made provisions for the scheme and had even allocated money but the Narendra Modi government failed to implement the scheme.

“One year has passed of the NDA government, of the Modi government and it has not proceeded ahead with the issue. They (ex servicemen) had knocked the doors of the government, but nothing materialised. Army, Navy, Air Force take care of the nation, secure our borders, their demands should be met.  [Read at Times of India]

After the political pressure made by Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi the Hon’ble Finance Minister Arun Jetly said

New Delhi, May 22, 2015: The issue over one-rank-one-pension (OROP) scheme may not be resolved in the near future as Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Friday said the “methodology of calculation” was still being worked out in consultation with the Defence Ministry.

Asserting the government’s commitment towards implementing the OROP, Jaitley said the Finance Ministry was in dialogue with the Defence Ministry on the methodology of calculation, hinting at no immediate resolution of the complicated issue.[Read at Deccan Herald]

Where is the One Rank One Pension Scheme? – 

The only one question is on all Ex-servicemen’s mouth when the government will approve the OROP.  All hopes will move on PM’s Mathura Rally as mentioned above.  The journey of One Rank One Pension Scheme started by the approval of committee [as mentioned below] and it is still in media only the journey will complete with the black and white order by govt.  In following paras the journey of OROP is described in breif:- 

The One Rank One Pay scheme implies that uniform pension be paid to the armed forces personnel retiring in the same rank with the same length of service irrespective of their date of retirement, and any future enhancement in the rates of pension be automatically passed on to past pensioners.

Though the demand for One Rank One Pension (OROP) has been considered by various Committees in the past but it has not been found feasible to accept it. However, keeping in mind the spirit of the demand a Committee was set up under the Chairmanship of Cabinet Secretary to look into the issue of OROP and other related matters, which submitted its report on 30.6.2009. The Committee made seven recommendations to substantially improve pensionary benefits of Personnel Below Officer Rank (PBOR) and Commissioned Officers, which have been accepted by the Government. Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare, Ministry of Defence has accordingly issued orders in implementation of the same vide Government letters dated 30.10.2009, 19.1.2010, 20.1.2010 & 8.3.2010 which are also available on www.pcdapension.nic.in. These orders have substantially increased the pension of pre 2006 retirees. [PIB News dated 03rd Aug, 2011]

The Committee on Petitions of Rajya Sabha under the Chairmanship of Shri Bhagat Singh Koshyari, MP, presented its Hundred and Forty-second Report to the Rajya Sabha on 19th December, 2011 on the petition praying for grant of one rank one pension to the armed forces personnel. [Click here to view]

Following are the important recommendations of the Committee:-

4.1 The Committee has taken note of the fact that a sum of Rs.1300 crores is the total financial liability for the year 2011-12 in case OROP is implemented fully for all the defence personnel in the country across the board. The Committee was informed that out of this, 1065 crores would go to retirees belonging to Post Below Officer Ranks (PBOR) while the Commissioned Officers would be getting the remaining i.e. 235 crores. The Committee felt that 1300 crores is not a very big amount for a country of our size and economy for meeting the long pending demand of the armed forces of the country. The Committee understand that this 1300 crores is the expenditure for one year which might increase at the rate of 10 percent annually. Even if it is so, the Committee does not consider this amount to be high, keeping in view the objective for which it would be spent.

4.2 The Committee was not convinced with the version of the Ministry of Finance that the grant of OROP to the defence personnel would eventually generate similar requests from the civilian work force of the country under the Central Government and the State Governments. The Committee feels so because of the quite different terms and conditions of service of the two different categories of employments. The terms and conditions of armed forces are tougher and harsher than the civilian Government employee. On the issue of returning of service medals by the defence personnel of our country to the President of India in view of the Governments’ apathetic attitude towards their demand of grant of OROP, the Committee was of the view that our defence personnel should not feel alienated to this extent again and they are not forced to surrender their hard earned service medals in this manner to exhibit their discontent with the government policies.

4.3 The Committee also felt that the decision of the Government to bring our defence personnel on the pattern of the civilians with regard to their pay, pension, etc. (from Third Central Pay Commission onwards) is not a considered decision which has caused hardship to the defence personnel and has given birth to their demand for OROP. The Committee understand that before the Third Central Pay Commission, the defence personnel were getting their pay / pension on the basis of separate criteria unconnected with the criteria devised for the civilian work force. That criteria acknowledged and covered the concept of OROP which has been given up after the Third Central Pay Commission.

Again by Cabinet Secretariat vide his Order dated 13-July-2013 the Government has decided to constitute a Committee, under the chairpersonship of Cabinet Secretary, to look into pay and pension related issues of relevance to defence services personnel and ex-servicemen.  The One Rank One Pension was included in terms of Reference of the Committee with other issues of Defence Personnel & Ex-servicemen.  The committee was asked to submit the report to Prime Minister by 8th August, 2012 [within the time of less than one month]. Click here to view

In this meeting the committee had arrived that according to calculations done by the military, the annual outgo for granting One -Rank-One-Pension to the approximately 21 lakh ex-servicemen would not be more than Rs. 1300 crore.  Read the outcome of meeting 

Approval of One Rank One Pension: In the line of correct the anomalies and pension parity created by previous Pay commissions the govt on 24-09-2012 approved a pension plan of Rs 2,300 crore for ex- Armed forces personnel under the ‘One Rank One Pension’ scheme.  Actually this was the enhancement of the amount of Minimum Pension fixed by the Sixth Pay Commission was to be approved by 01.01.2006.  An another struggle was started to get the arrears of pensionery benefit from 01.01.2006 instead of the date of approval i.e. 24.09.2012 and after the Hon’ble Supreme Court judgement the pre-2006 pensioner are still waiting for this.  On the time of approval of 2,300 crore the govt. said that UPA Government on two previous occasions has taken decisions to narrow the gap between the present and past pensioners, particularly those belonging to the ranks of JCOs and Other Ranks.  [Click here to view what the govt was approved on 24-09-2012 ]

As expected the Ex-servicemen Welfare Association had showed their dissatisfaction on above approval and termed it an ‘eyewash’ and a feeble attempt at “rectification” of a fault dating back to 2006. “It is deceiving. Government has wrongly interpreted the term ‘One Rank One Pension’ (OROP). They have not given OROP, instead they have just merely made an enhancement in pension,” Chairman Indian Ex-Servicemen Movement (IESM) retired Lt Gen Raj Kadyan told PTI [Click here to read full article on dissatisfaction of Ex-servicemen with the Version of BJP who was in opposition at that time] 

And the orders regarding approval on 24-09-2012 was on the floor Click to view collection of orders on One Rank One Pension  .  After issue of these orders govt. had clarified that Government has always been sensitive to the demand for One Rank One Pension. Keeping in view the spirit of the demand, several Commissions/Committees have gone into the matter.  All the recommendations of the Committee have been implemented by issue of Government letters on 17.01.2013. [click here to view One Rank One Pension: Status of Implementation ]

After this approval the following major improvement was seen in this matter:-

1. Govt. has denied Defence Personnel due in Pension & Rank Pay in spite of several Court Judgement [Click to view]

2. One Rank One Pension to be implemented from 2014-15 [Click to view]

3. The Government has accepted the principle of ‘one rank one pension’ for the defence forces and has allocated Rs. 500 crore for the Interim Budget 2014-15 by UPA Govt.

4. Implement One Rank, One Pension Soon, MoD Told: Express News Service

5. Grant of pensionary benefits from 01-01-2006: Govt’s curative petition dismissed by Supreme Court

6. “My government is committed to One-rank One-pension,” said PM Modi on board INS Vikramaditya.

7. In Budget 2014-15 the Union Finance Minister Shri Arun Jaitley also proposed a further sum of Rs 1,000 crore to address the pension disparities while implementing the policy of “one rank one pension” for soldiers. Click to view

8. Demand for one-rank one-pension to be considered: Rajnath Singh

In place of phrase “narrow the gap in pension” a new word “modalities” being used by govt. for One Rank One Pension

9. OROP will be implemented once the modalities are approved – “The principle of One Rank One Pension for the Armed Forces has been accepted by the Government. The modalities for implementation were discussed with various stakeholders and are presently under consideration of the Government.” Govt Statement in Rajya Sabha on 15-11-2014 Click here to view

10. One Rank One Pension promise in peril? – Times of India Article

11. One Rank One Pension Scheme for Armed Forces still on paper 22-12-2014

12. Parrikar Asks MoD Officials to Evolve A Policy for Reducing Court Cases on Pensions

After this only promise and future dates on dates given for approval of One Rank One Pension Scheme:-

13. On 27-12-2014 ‘One rank, one pension’ scheme before next Budget: Parrikar View

14. Government will keep its promise of one rank, one pension: Union minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore on 13-01-2015 View

15. OROP Table in Circulation

16. One Rank, One Pension proposal this week – अगले हफ्ते होगा ‘वन रैंक वन पेंशन’ पर निर्णय 01st Feb, 2015 Click to View

17. Achchey Din For Retired Faujis – “वन रैंक, वन पेंशन” की घोषणा अगले सप्ताह 17 Feb, 2015 Click to View

18. Withdraw the privileges of MP & MLA and utilize the money for One Rank One Pension: Tarun Vijay, MP BJP Click to View

19. Meeting of IESM Delegation with RM Sh Manohar Parrikar on 2 Mar 2015 Click to View

20. Promise of One Rank One Pension fulfilled in Budget: Chairman IESM Click to View

21. One rank-one pension by April-end, Army chief says Click to View

22. One Rank One Pension: Modalities will finalized by 1st week of April, 2015 & 1st Payment on 1st week of May, 2015, arrears in 4 equal installments: Defence Minister Assured in NEXCC meeting Click to View

23. OROP already finalised, prepared properly, involves an amount 8,000 crore approx: Parrikar Click to View

24. One rank One pension – Shadow of A Promise Click to View

25. NExCC meeting with Defence Minister: One Rank One Pension required a second approval from Parliament Click to View

26. Non-implementation of One Rank One Pension: Parlimentary panel slams govt Click to View

27. 8th May 2015 One Rank One Pension: News by Live Hindustan in Hindi – Big announcement soon and Complete OROP in 7th CPC Click to View

28. Narendra Modi may announce one-rank one-pension later this month – Rao Inderjit Singh 05-20-2015 Click to View

Conclusion

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