Tribune News Service
New Delhi, November 7
The Centre tonight issued a notification implementing ‘one rank one pension’ scheme for the retired armed forces personnel, but the ex-servicemen said it was not acceptable to them.
The notification comes a few days after some decorated veterans threatened to return their medals next week in protest against delay in OROP implementation.
Ministry of Defence spokesperson Sitanshu Kar said pension would be revised every five years. The protesting ex-servicemen had demanded a revision every two years. The pension of the past pensioners would be re-fixed on the basis of the benefits being given to retirees of the calendar year 2013. The scheme will be effective from July 1, 2014.
The 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. The pension of those drawing above the average will be protected.
The arrears will be paid in four equal half-yearly installments. However, all family pensioners, including those getting special/liberalised pension, and gallantry awardees shall be paid arrears in one installment. The government has also decided to appoint a judicial committee to look into the anomalies, if any, which would submit its report in six months.
The issue of giving pension to those opting for premature retirement (PMR) has been settled, though it could have long-term repercussions. The notification says those opting to quit on their own request in the future would not be entitled to the scheme benefits. This shall be effective prospectively, meaning officers and jawans who took PMR in the past shall be benefitted but those opting for PMR now onwards would be excluded. It also means there will be fewer PMR applications, which may strain the existing housing and infrastructure as officers were likely to stay on.
Maj Gen Satbir Singh (retd), Chairman of Indian Ex-Servicemen Movement, a body spearheading the OROP stir, said the notification “would not be acceptable”.