Successive governments have promised to fulfil their preelection OROP pledge, only to wriggle out of it subsequently .But now matters have been brought to a head with a number of senior retired officers having gone on a fast-unto-death unless the equal pension demand is met.If the sarkar gives in to OROP for the defence forces, there are and the railways will raise similar demands, which will bankrupt the country.
However, it could be argued that national bankruptcy is a small price to pay to put an end to an obvious injustice in pension plans. And the greatest injustice suffered under this head is by none other than our political class as a whole.
Our elected representatives enjoy a number of perks, apart from their salaries and various allowances, which they keep raising for themselves by the simple expedient of voting them into law. They get free plane and train travel, not only for themselves but often for their friends, family and general hangers-on as well.
They get a sarkari car with a pooh-paah beacon light on top, and subsidised food in Parliament's canteen. They get palatial bungalows to live in, and pensions for life.
But perhaps the most coveted though not strictly official benefit they can avail themselves of is some thing called Special Capital Accumulation Model (SCAM). SCAM is a sort of bonus to the pension plans of quite a few of our netas, to ensure that they have a comfortable old age, and many of our leaders live on to achieve a very ripe old age indeed. But the trouble with SCAM is that it is not inflation-proof.
For instance, the SCAM called Bofors involved a mere 64 crore. Today ,a SCAM like Coalgate or Vyapam can go into many thousands of crores. This is patently unfair.
If netas at the time of Bofors could claim a mere 64 crore, and today similarly ranked netas can rake in thousands of crores, using the OROP yardstick the earlier netas, or their successors in office, should be able to claim parity in SCAM value.
Netas across the board should see in OROP a golden opportunity for themselves. Or a golden OROPortunity .
However, it could be argued that national bankruptcy is a small price to pay to put an end to an obvious injustice in pension plans. And the greatest injustice suffered under this head is by none other than our political class as a whole.
Our elected representatives enjoy a number of perks, apart from their salaries and various allowances, which they keep raising for themselves by the simple expedient of voting them into law. They get free plane and train travel, not only for themselves but often for their friends, family and general hangers-on as well.
They get a sarkari car with a pooh-paah beacon light on top, and subsidised food in Parliament's canteen. They get palatial bungalows to live in, and pensions for life.
But perhaps the most coveted though not strictly official benefit they can avail themselves of is some thing called Special Capital Accumulation Model (SCAM). SCAM is a sort of bonus to the pension plans of quite a few of our netas, to ensure that they have a comfortable old age, and many of our leaders live on to achieve a very ripe old age indeed. But the trouble with SCAM is that it is not inflation-proof.
For instance, the SCAM called Bofors involved a mere 64 crore. Today ,a SCAM like Coalgate or Vyapam can go into many thousands of crores. This is patently unfair.
If netas at the time of Bofors could claim a mere 64 crore, and today similarly ranked netas can rake in thousands of crores, using the OROP yardstick the earlier netas, or their successors in office, should be able to claim parity in SCAM value.
Netas across the board should see in OROP a golden opportunity for themselves. Or a golden OROPortunity .
jug.suraiya@timesgroup.com http:blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.comjugglebandhi
(Source- TOI Editorial page)
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