IESM LETTER TO SH ARUN JAITLEY : IMPLEMENTATION OF ONE RANK ONE PENSION (OROP)

Friday, June 13, 2014

Sh Arun Jaitley,                                                                                                                                            Hon’ble Raksha Mantri
Ministry of Defence                                                                                                                                      South Block, New Delhi-110011

Sub: IMPLEMENTATION OF ONE RANK ONE PENSION (OROP)

Dear Sh Arun Jaitley,

At the outset, I would like to thank you for yesterday’s fruitful meeting, and would also request you for personal perusal of this letter, at your level. 

BJP in its Manifesto had assured the Defence fraternity that OROP will be implemented.  PM, Mr. Narendra Modi during his election Rallies had announced that BJP will implement the OROP in letter and spirit.  In a Rally near Ludhiana (Jagraon), he had assured the Defence Veterans that actual OROP will be implemented.  You are aware that defence personnel across the Country had supported the BJP since it was the only Political Party which had assured that their demands and requirements will be accepted in case it came to power and these were included in its Manifesto. It was heartening to hear President in his address to both houses of Parliament also mentioning that OROP will be implemented soon as gratitude to the soldiers for their sacrifices to the Nation.

It is with this assurance in mind, I had the privilege to attend the meeting yesterday ie. on 12^th June 2014 Chaired by you, where in, the services Headquarters had briefed on the implementation OROP.  The Draft Govt Letter (DGL) prepared by the Service HQs is in line with the accepted definition of OROP and is as per executive orders given by the then Defence Minister Mr. AK Antony during his meeting on 26^th Feb 2014.  The minutes of the meeting alongwith the executive orders are enclosed for your perusal. 

I wish to bring to your notice a fews issues which came up for discussion during the meeting yesterday:-

·  The definition of OROP accepted  by the Govt and given out by the then RM on 26 Feb 2014 is the  same as accepted by the Petition Committee of Rajya Sabha on OROP Chaired by the Shri Bhagat Singh Koshyari which presented its report on 19 Dec 2011 to the Rajya Sabha.

·   Based on the above definition, Koshyari Committee after due deliberations with the Secretary Finance and secretary expenditure had worked out the requirement of funds of Rs 3000 Crores in 2011.  With 10 percent of inflation every year, it works out to Rs 4000 Crores in 2014.  This amount is nothing for the Nation to meet the long pending demand of defence fraternity. OROP has been assured to them by none other than Sh Raj Nath Singh ji President BJP and Sh Narendra Modi Prime Minister India. OROP and welfare of ex-serviceman is a main essence of BJP manifesto. Government has promised that all promises made in manifesto will be honoured asap.

·  The then Govt had earmarked Rs 500 Crores as initial  indicated amount and had mentioned in the order of 26 Feb 2014 that additional fund as required will be made  available.

·  It was accepted even by the last Govt that disability and family pensioners will be included in the grant of OROP.

·  The Model I and Model 2 by the PCDA/CGDA/DESW must be outrightly rejected since these had never ever come under any discussion on OROP.  These, to our mind had been brought in as red herring by elements of lower bureaucracy of the DESW and the Defence Accounts Department in conjunction with the UPA Govt to delay the grant of OROP as per the accepted definition. It may be emphasized here by us again that the definition as announced on the floor of the house and also accepted in writing by way of a Govt of India letter, cannot be held mortgage to the thought processes or personal opinions of bodies of accountants.

·  The model presented by the Defence Services HQ is in line with the accepted definition of OROP and fully meets its requirement.  Acceptance of any other model will not be OROP as per the accepted definition.

·  All the objections raised by the PCDA/CGDA/DESW had been effectively contested by the Service HQs and need to be ignored.

·  Rates of pensions are enhanced every year since the basic pays of serving soldiers are enhanced at the rate of three percent every year.  In order, to implement the OROP, there is need to adopt a simple workable dynamic model to enhance the pensions every year.  If this is not implemented, juniors will start drawing more pension that their seniors.  In that event, protection clause will need to be applied which will be difficult to implement and will cause delays.

·  Rank pay case as per the SC judgement when implemented would need to be incorporated in OROP.

·  Requirement of Rs 9100 Crores required  for OROP as stated by CGDA does not seem to be in sync, as no details had been given by the CGDA to the service HQs. We would like to bring to your knowledge that it is very easy for accountants to play with numbers on noting sheets and file notings in order to twist the entire amount and make it seem prohibitory thereby trying to negatively influence the political executive. It is also not understood as to how is the figure provided by even the Expenditure Secretary before a Parliamentary Committee is being now twisted in an attempt to breakaway from the accepted definition of OROP.

·  The Govt is committed to implement the OROP as per the accepted definition whatever be the requirement of funds.

In view of the above, the following recommendations are made:-.

1. The Draft Govt Letter (DGL) prepared by the Services HQ for the implementation of OROP as per the accepted definition as already announced in the Parliament and as already issued in writing by the Govt, be sanctioned and implementation letter issued at the earliest.  

2.  The amount required to implement the OROP as per the above DGL be made available. 

3. Disability and family pensions be duly incorporated in the OROP.  

4. Rank Pay case Judgement of SC when implemented be incorporated in the OROP.

5.  Any further decision or meeting on the issue may not be taken merely on the inputs of Defence Accounts Department or the DESW and may only be taken after due consultation with all stake-holders so that unilateral points of view can be effectively countered whenever required.  

     With regards,

Maj Gen (Retd) Satbir Singh, SM
Chairman IESM
Mob: +919312404269, 0124-4110570
Email ID: satbirsm@gmail.com

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Sh Narendra  Modi  Prime Minister of India           Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) New Delhi – 110 001       For information please

Sh RajnathSingh    President,BJP                               Home Minister Govt of India   North Block,New Delhi   For information and action please. Shri Rao Inderjit Singh           -do- Raksha Rajya Mantri C-1/14 Lodi Garden New Delhi - 110 003  General Bikram Singh,                                                             PVSM, UYSM, AVSM, SM, VSM, ADC Chief of the Army Staff & Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee Integrated HQs of Armed Forces (Army) South Block, New Delhi-110011    May we request you  to jointly pursue the matter with the Govt for issue of Implementation letter as suggested  above at the earliest  please.    Admiral RK Dhowan,                                       -do- PVSM, AVSM, YSM, ADC, Chief of the Naval Staff Integrated HQs of Armed Forces (Navy) South Block, New Delhi-110011 Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha                           -do- PVSM, AVSM, VM, ADC Chief of the Air Staff Indian Air Force Vayu Bhawan, New Delhi 110011 (Source-BC Vasundhara blog)