The long-pending ‘One-Rank- One-Pension Scheme’ for ex-servicemen was tonight 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 calender 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.