Government of India has announced the acceptance of the long-pending demand for ‘One Rank One Pension’. The ex-servicemen who have been on agitation rejected the key details of the decision and said their 84-day long stir will continue.
OROP implies that uniform pension be paid to the Armed Forces personnel retiring in the same rank with the same length of service, regardless of their date of retirement. The issue of “One Rank One Pension” (OROP) has been pending for nearly four decades.
One Rank One Pension
- As per the announcement there would be revision of pension every five years as against two years demanded by the ex-servicemen.
- Pension will be re-fixed for all pensioners retiring in the same rank and with the same length of service as the average of minimum and maximum pension in 2013.
- The Ex-servicemen who have taken voluntary retirement would not be eligible for the scheme.
- The government is also setting up a one-member judicial committee to work out details of implementation of the OROP which will file a report in six months.
- Arrears will be paid in four half-yearly installments. All widows, including war widows, will be paid arrears in one installment.
To implement OROP, the estimated cost to the exchequer would be Rs. 8,000 to 10,000 crore at present, and will increase further in future.
