Implement One Rank, One Pension Soon, MoD Told

Defence Minister A K Antony on Thursday directed his ministry’s accounts deptt to immediately take steps for implementation of the ‘One Rank-One Pension’ decision. At a meeting chaired by him here on Wednesday evening, he had assured the Armed Forces that the Centre was “fully committed” to implement the OROP policy, which was accepted to be implemented from the 2014-15 financial year and an interim budget of `500 crore was earmarked for the same. The policy, when implement-ted, would cost `1,800 crore in the next fiscal, with a 10% increase in the pay-out every year hence.

Antony told the meeting to discuss modalities for OROP implementation that required funds would be made available for the scheme. Chairing a meeting of Armed Forces top brass and MoD senior officials here, Antony pointed out that Finance Minister P Chidambaram had clarified that the `500 crore made available for the OROP scheme was only “indicative” of the government’s intent to implement the long-pending demand.

Minister of State for Defence Jitendra Singh, Defence Secretary R K Mathur, Secretary ESW Sangita Gairola, Secretary Defence Finance Arunava Dutt, the three services vice chiefs and Adjt General from the Services headquarters were present at the meeting, a ministry release said.

It was noted that “OROP 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 to be automatically passed on to the past pensioners. “This implies bridging the gap between the rate of pension of current pensioners and past pensioners, and also future enhancements in the rate of pension to be automatically passed on to the past pensioners.”
Antony told the Controller General of Defence Accounts (CGDA) to initiate immediate necessary steps in consultation with the three services, MoD Finance and Department of ESW to give effect to the decision.

(Source-Express News Service - NEW DELHI , Published: 28th February 2014 06:00 AM)