1 Mar :As per Supreme Court’s ruling, “Pension is ‘Delayed Wages’ for the Services rendered”. Hence, two persons who render same service, both quantum-wise and quality-wise should get same ‘Delayed wages’ (Pension). In the military ‘Quantum’ and ‘Quality’ of service are measured by length of service put in and ‘Rank’ held. Hence the concept of One Rank One Pension (OROP) as ‘Ranks’, the world over are only peculiar to Military alone and define the responsibilities held. With each ‘Pay Commission’, the pay of the serving Defence Personnel is revised upwards and accordingly those in the same rank who retired earlier get much less pension. Now, a Sepoy who retired on 31 December 1995 would get 82% less pension than a Sepoy who retired after 01 January ’06.
The principle of OROP was accepted by many Governments. Some Presidents, Prime Ministers and Defence Ministers announced the same even on the floor of the Parliament. To counter other Govt employees asking for the same, Mr VP Singh, the then Prime Minister (1990) is on record having remarked “Let them (the civilian employees) swap places with the Military”. Mrs Sonia Gandhi, the Congress President, in an Ex-Servicemen’s Rally at Chandigarh in November ’02 declared, “When we come to power, we will grant OROP”. The Standing Committee on Defence in its 20th Report (2003), specifically recommended implementation of OROP and went to the extent of recommending it to be made a ‘precedent’. The Congress party’s Manifesto for last Lok Sabha election, says, “Long pending issue of One Rank One Pension will once again be re-examined and a satisfactory solution arrived at expeditiously”. The issue of welfare of Ex-Servicemen was also included in the President’s address to the Parliament in 2004. OROP thus is the declared policy of the Government and not just of any one political party. It is pertinent to mention that all MPs, MLAs, judges, freedom fighters, direct entry IAS and IPS officers are already given One Rank One Pension. Why deny it to the Defence Forces, who served in harshest, most exacting conditions and contributed the most in safe guarding the country, as compared to any civilian?
Unfortunately, now the govt has rejected One Rank One Pension that it was not possible to implement this stated policy on financial and administrative grounds. What has changed after their promise of 2004 that granting of One Rank One Pension has suddenly become unfeasible NOW? This has forced the Ex-Servicemen to go on ‘Relay Hunger Strike’ with effect from 16 December ’08. They had a huge “Protest Rally’ at Jantar Mantar Road on 08 February. It is a matter of shame for India that about 300 of them who fought wars returned their most precious possession, their “Medals” to the President of India, who is their Supreme Commander, with a stipulation that they would gratefully accept their medals back when they were granted One Rank One Pension. Another lot of medals were returned on 21 February. This process of depositing the Medals will continue. The next installment of medals returning will be on 14 March. Thereafter they would be doing so every month till all the medals are returned.
The apprehension of other govt employees demanding OROP is unfounded, because, like soldiers, based upon their ‘Rank’, civilians DO NOT start retiring at the age of 35. (All civilians serve up to 58/ 60 years of age); they do NOT join the service with the condition that they would sacrifice their lives while performing duties; they have NOT been denied their fundamental rights by the Constitution of India and they Do NOT spend major portion of their young lives away from their families. That’s why when ‘One Time Increases’ was granted to the soldiers twice earlier, there was no reaction from the civilians.
If after surrendering their Medals, the Ex-Servicemen do not get JUSTICE, they would be forced to intensify their agitation by other means, which may have negative effect on the serving Soldiers with disastrous consequences. The Ex-Servicemen, have formed themselves into a “VOTE BANK” and in conjunction with serving Soldiers who have been given the right to vote at their place of posting, they would vote for only those who commit, in writing, that they will get principle of ‘One Rank One Pension’ implemented. Implementing O R O P will strengthen National Defence as it will raise the morale of the Serving Soldiers since they would know that they would be well cared for after retirement.
ADDITIONAL POINT ON OROP PROPOSED.
In addition to the points considered by the High Powered Committee; another point proposed is that if the OROP is not be fixed on the basis of maximum of the pay band + grade pay of the rank + MSP. Instead, it may be fixed considering the number of years of service every pensioner rendered before his retirement + additional numbers of service for each rank as is being added presently; on the similar basis of 50% of pay of the pay band after rendering that length of service + grade pay of the rank + MSP. It is a justified suggestion and the Govt. must accept it without any reservation or hesitation.
K L Jaspal.
Mob: 09471889885
(A) ADDITIONAL POINT ON OROP PROPOSED.
In addition to the points considered by the High Powered Committee; another point proposed is that if the OROP is not be fixed on the basis of maximum of the pay band + grade pay of the rank + MSP. Instead, it may be fixed considering the number of years of service every pensioner rendered before his retirement + additional numbers of service for each rank as is being added presently; on the similar basis of 50% of pay of the pay band after rendering that length of service + grade pay of the rank + MSP. It is a justified suggestion and the Govt. must accept it without any reservation or hesitation.
K L Jaspal.
krishanlaljaspal@yahoo.co.in
Mob: 09471889885
(B) WHY ONE RANK ONE PENSION (OROP) OF DEFENSE SERVICES PENSIONERS?
(1). A very high powered Committee headed by the Cabinet Secretary Mr. K M Chandrasekhar, the Senior Most IAS officer of the country was constituted by the Govt. to consider ONE RANK ONE PENSION (OROP) for the defense pensioners. It is very agonizing that the Committee did not put in any efforts to formulate the report on OROP with clear heart and mind except referring the previous reports on the subject and summarizing them as its recommendations. Rather, the report seems to have been prepared with biased, prejudiced, predisposed, skewed and subjective mind. In fact, even otherwise, how could it have done justice to the requirement of OROP when none of the members of the Committee has any physical or practical experience or knowledge of service conditions of armed forces which warrant special considerations to afford them attractive and better pay and allowances during the service and pension after their retirement? Also, the defense forces pensioners did not expect that the Committee could have ever done justice since none them has ever been associated with Armed Forces, nor any of their children, wards or relatives have remained part of the Armed Forces. Also, none of them will ever like their children/wards to join the Armed Forces even ever in future.
(2). Further, such a Committee must have been large enough and would have had some of the members of high ranking serving as well as retired pensioners who could have brought out the facts of the case on the bases of which the demand of OROP is being projected since decades thereby, helped the Committee to consider its genuineness and done justice with the same. Surprisingly, The Committee did not even care to consult any of the members of National Ex-servicemen Association, which is the IESM on date, whose Chairman is Lt Gen (Retd.) Raj Kadyan, PVSM, AVSM, VSM. It is also astonishing and astounding that this report has been accepted and even approved by the Govt. as it is without consulting any one from the armed forces or the IESM, which has been struggling to get OROP since decades.
(3). The manner and approach the report of ONE RANK ONE PENSION (OROP) prepared by the very high powered Committee was never expected to be formulated as asked for. The report of 21 pages or so seems to have been prepared by the Committee most callously, carelessly, casually, dispassionately, imperturbably, heedlessly, offhandedly, indifferently and nonchalantly. The report is absolutely and enormously painful, nasty, eyewash, mean-spirited, unkind, cruel, callous, uncaring, heartless, merciless, selfish, and the veterans can not be deceived with such a redundant and superfluous report.
(4). Rather, it is beyond anyone’s imagination as to how the Govt. selected the constituent members of the so called High Power Committee, which is absolutely unfair, unjust, inequitable, iniquitous, unwarranted, discriminatory and unbalanced.
(5). The Committee on every point has been putting forward its argument that if the OROP is given to the defense forces pensioners, it should be given to the IAS Officers as well; rather this has always been the logic, argument and thinking of the concerned IAS officer in position. Hence, the committee proposed not to propose OROP to the defense pensioners, especially the retired commissioned Officers. Truly speaking, from the arguments put forth by the committee, it seems that they were considering the OROP for their own self cadre rather than for the defense forces pensioners.
(6). There is no hesitation in saying that such a report as prepared by the Committee could have been better prepared even by a UDC or maximum an Office Superintendent or at the most by a Section Officer within one working day, where as the High Powered Committee, the constituent members of which were very senior and high ranking/position holding officers of the Govt. have taken more than two months. It has been rather, sheer wastage of time and efforts.
(7). Considering the above facts, how one can expect that the Committee could have done justice to the OROP for the defense forces pensioners.
(8). It is amazing and beyond belief that this report has been accepted and even approved by the Govt. as it is without consulting the services’ officers and the IESM, which has been struggling to get OROP since eighties. Rather, it is inconceivable and unthinkable that the negative report on the subject matter that suggested rejecting the demand of OROP has been accepted and approved by that Govt., that too “that Govt. which is headed by the Congress Party”, that had promised to give OROP and the same was incorporated in the Party manifesto before the previous general elections. Every one who so ever happens to know the contents of the OROP report on its perusing is most disheartened, discouraged, depressed, saddened, dejected, dispirited, crestfallen, dismayed, and disappointed.
(9). This announcement is no where near requirement of desired OROP, rather, it is mere, sheer, downright, utter, and absolute eyewash, but the veterans can not be deceived with such a flimsy, insubstantial, unconvincing and inadequate report.
(10). Except the so called High Powered Committee and the Govt., it is well known to countrymen of the nation that the service conditions of the defense forces personnel are highly precarious, rough, tough, hard, grueling, arduous, ruthless, strenuous, severe, brutal, vigorous, rigorous, exhausting, backbreaking, troublesome, horrifying, scary, petrifying, risky, terrifying, frightening, harsh, perilous, death-defying, dangerous, hard-hitting, insecure, hazardous, treacherous, terrorizing, and unsafe. Such service conditions are incomparable, unrivaled, unparalleled, and unmatched with any of the services of the country.
(11). In addition to unfavourable service conditions of defense personnel; a wide disparity exists between civil services officers and defense services officers, which always have been persisting. Just to highlight a few of them, all the defense services personnel retire much before what the civil services employees retire. The promotions in defense services are too meager in comparison to civil services employees. The commissioned officers get only three chances to get selection grade promotion of a rank during their entire service, where as all civilian officers keep getting such chances for promotion till they retire from service. The transfers/postings for the defense services personnel are very frequent, where as the transfers/postings for civilian are most rare. The married accommodation for defense services personnel is never adequate/100%; where as all civil servants are authorised 100% married accommodation. The families and children of services personnel always keep suffering during their entire service and even after their retirement since the deficiencies and responsibilities they had in service keep increasing, rather, worsening after there retirement. There are unaccounted and numerous such disparities between the defense services and civil services employees, which may possible to enumerate them here.
(12). Under the aforesaid service conditions and with such disparities, how many parents, especially the ministers, politicians and IAS officers who are in the helm of affairs would have ever sent or like to send their children, wards and relatives to join defense forces? It is assured there is none.
(13). Nevertheless, no nation can survive without the services of defense forces to safeguard its national borders and even to maintain internal security, especially under the present scenario. It is rather more imperative and essential in the present scenario, when our country is surrounded by the enemy countries. Some of them have been producing the infiltrators and terrorists, who have been playing havoc to disturb the peace and harmony of our countrymen as well as trying to destabilize our economy by smuggling and various other means.
(14). The Govt. seems to have forgotten the Kargil war, number of previous wars and recent havoc of Bombay created by the terrorists, when property worth billions was destroyed and a large number of valuable lives were lost. The Govt. seems to have totally forgotten all these.
(15). Further, the Prime Minister on behalf of the Govt. and whole nation pays homage to the martyrs by laying writhe at the India Gate to the sacrificial victims and war heroes and during any other contingencies, where all ranks of defense services have lost their lives for the nation and its nationals. But it seems; the Govt. does it just to show off and eyewash, thereby befooling the people and defense forces personnel. If it so, it is very sad on the part of the Govt.
(16). What are the places where forces are not deployed? They are deployed, not against the foreign enemies alone, but they are utilized against the enemies within the country, counter insurgencies, against militants, terrorists and remain stand-to for 24 hours to counter any eventualities, emergencies and emergencies. Even during the natural calamities like floods, fires and situations like tsunamis, it is the services of defense personnel which are called for to bring the things to normalcy. Even, during normal conditions, it is the defense forces personnel who remain stand-to for 24 hours to counter any eventualities throughout the year.
(17). Do the authorities not know that the defense forces personnel never remain in any station for more than two years? Some of the stations, though these may be peace areas, but there is no sufficient married accommodation and some places no or little required educational facilities. As a result, their families remain forced separated and their children and old parents/dependents keep suffering throughout their service.
(18). The above disparities, especially the service conditions are that of permanent nature which can never be removed. However, just to compensate at least to some extent, the Govt. must give better pay & allowances as well as pension to defense officers and PBOR commensurately to their counterparts under the prevailing service conditions and disparities.
(19). Accordingly, with the view to get some essentially required and genuine benefits, the OROP has been a persistent and relentless demand of defense services pensioner since decades. Yet, it is a very sad to say that the demand of OROP has been ruthlessly ignored and disregarded by the High Powered Committed constituted by the Govt., based on which the same is then rejected by the Govt.
(20). The entire nation knows of the defense forces personnel problems. It is due to these adverse service conditions and problems, the real talents do not come forward to join the defense services. Also, a large number of officers leave the forces to join private service. As a result of it, the present huge deficiency of defense services officers, which is prevailing since decades, is never likely to be made up unless the Govt. takes up necessary steps to give the soldiers better and attractive incentives in the form of pay, allowances, perks, pension and other benefits as and when suggested from time to time during their service as well as after retirement.
(21). Also, the entire nation knows and recognize the work and services of defense forces, but it is beyond anyone’s comprehension that why our own Govt does not pay any heed to the problems and genuine requirements of the defense services. It is really very strange.
(22). It is felt that anyone not realizing the problems and requirements of the defense forces, he is definitely not the well-wisher of the defense forces personnel; rather, he is the enemy of the defense forces. In fact such people are not the enemies of the defense forces personnel alone, but they are the enemies of the whole nation/country, who are trying to demoralize the forces to destabilize the nation. Is there any one from such persons’ generations, who would have ever thought of joining neither the defense forces nor they will ever ask their children to do so. Such persons presumably could have amassed unaccountable wealth, the means for which could be best known to them.
(23). Notwithstanding, in spite of the such a negative attitude of the Govt. and concerned authorities towards defense forces, the all ranks of defense forces still pray to the Almighty to give all of them some wisdom and shower best wishes over them.
(24). Nevertheless, the demand of the OROP will never be left here-itself come what may. This has to be followed with more vociferous protests by all the ex-servicemen organisations as well as Services Chiefs till the desired genuine results are achieved, thus to demand a re-look at the issue from the Govt. of UPA, headed by the Congress party which had included in its manifesto that of the previous as well 2004 polls.
K L JASPAL.
MOB: 09471889885
Congress today says that they have fulfilled all promises made in 2004. The only promise they forgot of OROP. Why? Defense personals are only fodder to be used against the guns of terrorists and enemy. For them only MPs, IAS officers are there to take care of this country. They can only talk and talk well about soldiers, their sacrifices, their extreme love and devotion for the country. They will go all out to praise them. During election campaigns they show their extreme respect for soldiers. This too is probably to obtain votes because the gen masses are the only one who genuinely love and respect soldiers. What to talk of their children no one from their near and dear joins the armed forces. Why should they ? It does not benefit them. It does not benefit their children. It does not benefit their near and dear ones. Soldiers even do not vote. So why? Return your medals, go on hunger strike, nothing will happen. Only ray of hope is the Janta of this country. When they will through them out, they will realize. OROP is the right of armed forces and they must get.
If, as stated above, O R O P is already being paid to others from MPs to IPS officers, then why does every Govt discriminate against the Armed Forces.
LeT attacks Mumbai and the Armed Forces are called in; the IAS bungles up administration and Army gets called in to restore peace and public order; the IPS officers are unable to maintain law & order and agian the Defence services are called in; the politicians polarise society and Armed Forces provide stability.
Sonia Gandhi, Dr Manmohan Singh or Thiru P Chidambaram’s children are not serving in the Armed Forces; if they did the O R O P would have been given in 2004.
Read the PM-in-waiting’s promises but do not have nay hope; it is just for the votes!!
Govt must see the logic,great difference in Service conditions,less years of service. Proposal is totally justified.
EXCELLENT.
Govt MUST see the BROAD writtting in CAPITAL LETTERS on the WALL