Former Union Defense Minister AK Antony
by Cl Manoj
"If the govt has started dispersing OROP, it should take responsibility for its proper implementation. The real issue is the way the govt diluted, in 2015, UPA’s order on OROP. "
As politics over ‘One Rank, One Pension’ rages, former defense minister AK Antony in an interview to ET has said “even as the Modi government, along with BJP, is praising the sacrifices of our solders”, it has “not only gone back on its promises” on OROP but also “diluted” the previous UPA government’s order on it: Excerpts:
What do you have to say to BJP’s charges that the Congress is playing politics over the suicide of an ex-serviceman?
It is part of our social custom for leaders to visit the bereaved. So, why did the police detain Rahul Gandhi for trying to console family members of the ex-serviceman? Rahul has been taking up the cause of security forces and ex-servicemen and he has visited families of several martyrs. During the UPA government’s tenure, he met with the then PM and ministers to take up OROP issue. Arvind Kejriwal, who is the CM of Delhi, too was detained! It only shows the undemocratic attitude of the Modi government.
What about BJP’s claim that UPA had not done much on OROP?
This is absolutely wrong! UPA’s Finance Minister P Chidambaram announced in his February 17, 2014, (interim) budget the then government’s decision to accept OROP. It came despite three pension hikes to ex-servicemen during our 10-year tenure. After FM’s announcement, I chaired a meeting on February 26, 2014, which took the decision to implement OROP for all ranks of defense forces from April 1, 2014, with a provision to provide required funds. Our order was inclusive.
It said uniform pension be paid to the retired forces in the same rank and service duration, irrespective of retirement year. It also stated any future enhancement in pension to be automatically passed to past pensioners, bridging the rate gap between current and past pensioners. We also included family pensioners and disability pension in OROP.
The Center says delay due to problems at banks…
If the government has started dispersing OROP, it should take responsibility for its proper implementation. The real issue is the way the government diluted, in 2015, UPA’s order on OROP. Let me quote what media and ex-servicemen have said: “When UPA government ordered a constant review of OROP, the NDA government diluted it into a five-year review, making it one-rank-five-pensions and pensioner suffering a five-year loss.
While UPA included premature retirees in OROP, this government has excluded them. While UPA granted top-scale pension, this government reduced it to average scale. While UPA ordered OROP implementation from April 1, 2014, this government extended implementation to July 1, 2014.” All these despite Modi regime’s public promise to ex-servicemen. The government must implement the report submitted by the committee it set up to address OROP dilutions. This government and the BJP has gone allout to praise sacrifices of our soldiers but in reality, they diluted even what was due to them. Same is the case in addressing their other grievances too.
Such as?
The forces raised some anomalies in pay panel recommendations and about rank disparity with civilians. But the government has not responded. When the pay panel proposals were implemented during UPA’s time, the forces had highlighted certain anomalies. We constituted a committee under then Cabinet Secretary KM Chandrasekhar and based on its recommendations the government sanctioned an additional `10,000 crore. Nearly `7,000 crore was to address anomalies of the forces alone. This government should constitute a similar committee. While UPA enhanced the disability pension, this government brought it down, triggering protests, forcing it to say it has been revised. This government is not sincere in its commitment to the causes of security forces even when our soldiers are engaged in challenges at border.