OROP PROTEST AT JANTAR MANTAR ::GEN SATBIR SINGH LETTER OF 29 JAN 2018

                                                                                                                                                             29 Jan 2018

JANTAR MANTAR PROTEST MOVEMENT FOR JUSTICE TO JAWANS

Dear Friends,

1.   960 days today since we launched Protest Movement at JM & at other locations across the country to get Justice to the Soldiers. Actual OROP as our first objective remains far away.  Govt has not fulfilled its assurance given to the soldiers by PM.  Instead of correcting the OROP Anomalies which have cascading effect on our Pay, Pensions and Status, Govt has set out to defame, degrade and destroy our Protest Movement.One Man Judicial Committee Report on OROP which was submitted to the Govt on 26 Oct 2016 has neither been made public nor implemented.  After making claims for over two years that OROP has been implemented, Govt has now accepted that full OROP has not yet been given.  What the Govt has implemented is one time increase in pension and not full OROP.

2.    A Sepoy with 17 years of service and his widow are getting, Rs 4296 and Rs 2548 per month less pension respectively than what should be entitled to them if full OROP is implemented. These figures will keep on increasing since the OROP anomalies have cascading effect on our pensions and status viz other Govt Services.  It is for interest to everyone that other democracies of the world pay 15-20 percent more salary and pension to their soldiers than what India pays to it soldiers.  International Kaleidoscope of pay and pensions is under:-

          Edge in Pay and Pensions of defence Forces vis-a-vis Civilian Employees

Ser No	Countries	Notional Edge in salary as service pay or special allowance for military service	Pension Scale with notional edge for military service
(a)	U.S.A	Approx 15 to 20%	50 to 75% of last pay drawn fully protected against inflation.  For civil services the scale is 33.75% of pay as pension.
(b)	United Kingdom	10%	Uniform pension as revised irrespective of rank and date or retirement.
(c)	Australia	#2608 PA military allowance	76.5 percent of day
(d)	Japan	12 to 29% on graded scale	70 percent of pay
(e)	West Germany	5 to 10%	75% of pay
(f)	Yugoslavia	15%	85 % of pay
(g)	Nigeria	5%	80% of pay with national edge of 10% over civil scales.
(h)	France	15%	75% of pay.
(j)	Iraq	10%	70-75% of pay.
(k)	Pakistan	10-15% with other allowances	50-75% of pay with service element military pension
(l)	India	Nil	50% of pay and same is depressed by 6 to 24% in respect of Lt Col & below ranks constituting 90% of the manpower strength of the Armed Forces.

3.    Not  only  this serious disparity, the Govt has restricted financial assistance for education including professional education to the Children of Martyrs to Rs 10000/- per month, a schemes which was introduced after the 1971 WAR  of full financial assistance for their education including professional and higher studies.  This is retrograde step for the pay and pensions of soldiers.

4.    We thankfully accept that the present Govt has accepted the Concept of OROP; however, there are anomalies in its execution which remain to be corrected. The present Govt would have got the credit of honouring its assurance to the soldier, had it implemented full OROP as per the definition given in the Govt Executive orders dated 26 Feb 2014.

5.       The approved definition of OROP by two Governments is given below:-

(a) One Rank One Pension (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 beautomatically passed on to the past pensioners. This implies bridging the gap between the rate of pension of the current pensioners and the past pensioners, and also future enhancements in the rate of pension to be automatically passed on to the past pensioners”.

(b) Shri Bhagat Singh Koshyari RAJYASABHA COMMITTEE ON PETITIONS DATED 19 DEC 2011 - "One Rank One Pension (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 the current pensioners and the past pensioners, and also future enhancements in the rate of pension to be automatically passed on to the past pensioners”.

(c) Report of Committee of Secretaries on OROP-30 Jun 09. Relevant  Extract is as under :-

“One Rank One Pension (OROP) implies that uniform pension be paid to the Armed Forces Personnel retiring in the same rank with thesame 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”

(d)         Minister of State for Defence Rao Inderjit Singh in a written reply to Shri Rajeev Chandrasekhar in Rajya Sabha dated 02 Dec 2014 (Release ID :112372)

“The principle of One Rank One Pension for the Armed Forces has been accepted by the Govt. One Rank One Pension (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 the current pensioners and the past pensioners, and also future enhancement in the rate of pension to be automatically passed on to the past pensioners.”

5.   I had the opportunity to meet the present RM on 15 Nov 2017 in her office in a very cordial environment and briefed her in detail about the anomalies in the implementation of OROP and other important Issues of Welfare of Defence Personnel are as under. 

(a)    Implementation of Actual One Rank One Pension (OROP).

(b)    Pensions of Defence Widows.

(c)    Pensions of Defence Reservists.

(d)   Ensuring Second Career for the early Defence Retirees till the age of 60 years through the Act of Parliament.

(e)  Improvements in Medical care Scheme ECHS.  The medical procedures which have been introduced in the Country be on ECHS Procedure list within, six months of their being operational in India.

(f)  Dire need to have Veterans Hospitals on the line of other Democracies.

(g)  Need to enhance ECHS Budget to efficiently manage Super Specialty Care for the Defence Personnel and their dependents.

(h)    Need to have Covenant Act of Defence Forces on the lines of UK & other countries.

(j)  Need to expedite construction of Martyrs Memorial at India Gate.  Long delays have already been caused.

(k)  Need to enhance rates of Disability Pension for Defence Personnel.

6.   Having given the details, I would request all members of the defence Family to “Join in” to continue our struggle to get “Respect and Justice” to the soldiers and for restoration of status in all respects as existed on 26 Jan 1950.

7.  You are aware that the Govt has to implement Actual OROP and the opposition has to raise the issues of disparities and shortcomings that exist.  We had supported BJP in 2014 when the party had assured us of implementation of full OROP if it came to Power. Now, since BJP has not implemented full OROP, we have requested opposition ie (Cong and other Parties) to assist in getting actual OROP for the Welfare of Soldiers.  We neither joined BJP in 2014 nor we have joined cong now.  Some ex- servicemen for the reasons best known to them are making subjective comments that the IESM Leadership has joined Congress.  It is for from truth.  IESM and Jantar Mantar Protest Movement is for the Welfare of Defence Family and not for joining any Political Party.

8.   We appeal to all Ex-Servicemen to strengthen the Protest Movement at Jantar Mantar and other locations in the Country by Continuing to be part of it.  Every Ex-serviceman in and around NCR is requested to visit Jantar Mantar atleast once a week to Showcase Solidarity to the Cause of Soldiers.  Likewise, ESM at other locations are requested to conduct meetings at their respective places in support of Respect, Justice, Status, Actual OROP and Removal of Anomalies of 6^th & 7^th CPCs.

With regards,

Yours Sincerely,

Maj Gen Satbir Singh, SM (Retd)

Advisor United Front of Ex Servicemen and Chairman IESM

Mobile: 09312404269, 0124-4110570

Email: satbirsm@gmail.com

(Source : Via e-mail)