UNACCEPTABLE DELAY IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF ONE RANK ONE PENSION OROP

Tuesday, January 13, 2015

Dear Veterans

Letter written to Gen VK Singh, Maj Gen B C Khanduri, Col Sona Ram Choudhary, Col Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, Shri Rajeev Chandrasekhar,  Smt Kirron Kher & Capt Amrinder Singh regarding “ UNACCEPTABLE DELAY IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF ONE RANK ONE PENSION OROP” dated 13 Jan 2015 is enclosed herewith for your information and widest circulation please..

             With regards,

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

To 


General VK Singh (Retd), Member of Parliament,                 
Union Minister of State (Independent Charge),  
Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation;  Union Minister of State,  
Ministry of External Affairs and Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs 
36, Aurangzeb Road, New Delhi – 110011 

Maj Gen Bhuwan Chandra Khanduri, AVSM (Retd) 
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) 
7, K. Kamraj Lane, New Delhi – 110011 
Jai Durga Niwas, 12, Vikas Marg, 
Pauri Garhwal-246001 (Uttarakhand) 

Col Sona Ram Choudhary (Retd) 
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) 
9, Talkatora Road, New Delhi -110001 
181/Ajit Colony, Circuit House Road,  
Jodhpur, Rajasthan 

Col Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore (Retd) 
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) 
C-26, Vaishali Nagar, Jaipur, Rajasthan

Shri Rajeev Chandrasekhar,  
Member of Parliament 
211, North Avenue, New Delhi -110001 
Jupiter Innovision Centre, 54,  
Richmond Road, Bangalore -560025

Smt. Kirron Kher 
Member of Parliament, BJP 
C-191, Defence Colony, New Delhi -110024 

Capt Amarinder Singh (Retd) 
Indian National Congress (INC) 
House No. 1669, New Moti Bagh Colony, Patiala

         
UNACCEPTABLE DELAY IN IMPLEMENTATION OF ONE RANK ONE PENSION OROP


Dear All,

1. We write this letter to convey to ESM MPs our serious concerns for the unacceptable delay in implementation of OROP.  You are our representatives and the voice in Parliament and the Govt.  We expected that you all will jointly and strongly take up the cause of soldiers with the Govt to get us due justice which has been denied to us by successive Govts for the past 67 years.  We have no doubt that you have been taking up veterans issues including OROP at opportune moments at appropriate levels. But it seems that your efforts are not bearing fruit. The most important issue which worries ESM over and above OROP is that credibility of our erstwhile comrades and in particular Prime Minister Sh Narendra Modi is under question.  

2. Even after ten months of its sanction on 17 Feb 2014, statements like 80% assurances, 80% ESM will be satisfied, number of years in the rank, Rs 9300 crores are required etc  are being aired to delay or deny us the benefit.  You all have been part of the profession and know the details well. You all must have taken up the issue with the PM and the RM, but the implementation has not fructified. The interview of RM Sh Manohar Parrikar to Head lines today on 12 Jan has further demoralized the rank and file. He has now relegated decision on OROP to 25 July and has also cast a shadow of doubt by bringing the question that civilians will also ask OROP.

3. You are aware that the definition of OROP has been sealed in May 2009 when UPA Govt ordered a Committee of Secretaries on OROP.  The present definition was projected to the Committee by the IESM which was accepted and is part of the Report of the Committee.  The same definition was accepted by the Koshyari Committee of Rajya Sabha which was presented to RS on 19 Dec 2011.  While accepting the principle of OROP the same definition has been accepted by two Parliaments.  The same is also included in the Executive orders of the Govt dated 26 Feb 2014 for the implement of OROP.   As late as on 02 Dec 2014 the RRM stated the same definition in the Parliament and confirmed the commitment of BJP Government for early implementation of OROP. 

4. Based on the Executive orders and the approved definition in the budget and Parliament, the Service HQs had prepared DGL which was presented to the RM on 22 Apr 2014. Does it take ten months for a Govt to take a decision especially when it has been elected on the promise of good governance and with a solemn pledge that the Government will increase India’s security and will take care of its military personnel? You will agree with IESM that present arguments being extended by RM and MOD are only to delay and dilute the OROP definition. This is a very disturbing development and needs to be taken up very strongly by all of you. IESM is getting a feeling that Govt is coming under pressure of Bureaucratic politics to delay and dilute the OROP or even to deny the OROP like congress Government did in 2009. A word of caution my friends is that your prestige will go down in the eyes of your comrades in case OROP definition is changed even 1% from approved definition.

5. If you all want to clarify any issue, on OROP, IESM will be privileged to do so at any time and place convenient to you all.  

6. An ESM Maha Rally has been planned to be held on 01 Feb 2015 at Jantar Mantar from 10.30AM to remind/request the Government of its promises and for early release of OROP notification. You are requested to join in the Rally as an ESM.  It is now upto you honourable gentlemen and the Govt to facilitate us in converting our agitation into gratitude by issuing notification of OROP prior to 1 Feb 2015. 


     With regards, 

Maj Gen Satbir Singh, SM (Retd) 

Chairman IESM Mob: +919312404269, 0124-4110570

 Email ID: satbirsm@gmail.com

(SOURCE-VASUNDHARA BLOG)