By Ajai Shukla
Business Standard, 15th Dec 15
With the appointment of a one-man judicial
commission to look into the implementation of the One Rank, One Pension (OROP)
scheme for ex-servicemen, the government has tried in vain to signal
flexibility in resolving this vexed dispute.
On Monday, the defence ministry (MoD) named
Justice L Narasimha Reddy, retired chief justice of the Patna High Court, as
the head of the one-man commission.
A MoD release says the committee will make
recommendations on “removal of anomalies that may arise in the implementation
of the OROP”, which the government notified on November 7. It will also address
inter-service anomalies, and “any other matter referred by the Central
Government.”
In the OROP agitation, veterans are demanding
identical pensions for all those who retire at the same rank, with the same
length of service. Ex-servicemen argue they performed the same job in service
and must make ends meet in identical economic conditions today.
Before OROP, veterans who retired in
earlier years when salaries were lower got far lower pensions than those retiring
today. A pension, which is payable for life, and then at half rate to a
veteran’s widow, amounts to half the salary drawn on the date of retirement.
On September 5, Defence Minister Manohar
Parrikar announced OROP, but the ex-servicemen agitation continued, with their
leaders discontent with the implementation.
Now the Justice Reddy commission has six
months to submit its recommendations on issues that will be raised before it.
It may also submit interim reports, if necessary.
Ex-servicemen bodies at the forefront of
the agitation, like the United Front of Ex-Servicemen (UFESM), first cautiously
welcomed, then rejected, the commission.
Colonel (Retired) Anil Kaul, media head of
the UFESM told Business Standard: “The commission provides an additional forum
for redressing veterans’ grievances against the OROP award. We don’t want to go
to court unnecessarily; if the judicial commission can resolve our issues, that
would be the best course.”
But a statement put out later by the UFESM
took a far stronger line, rejecting the judicial commission since the UFESM had
earlier recommended the commission should have 3-5 members, including two ex-servicemen.
Now, for the first time, the UFESM talked openly about legal redress.
“The way forward is to approach the SC
(Supreme Court) which would be taken proceduraly (sic) as per the advise (sic)
of our counsel Mr Ram Jethmalani very shortly”, said the UFESM in a
late-evening statement. Business Standard understands that Jethmalani has
offered to represent the ex-servicemen gratis.
The government has sent mixed messages
about its willingness to compromise. On December 1, Parrikar met with UFESM
leaders and promised to continue finding a settlement. Former army chief and
minister of state for external affairs, General (Retired) VK Singh, was
nominated as a channel of communication.
The UFESM says that by appointing a
judicial commission, “the door kept open with a mediator in the form of Gen VK
Singh has been shut on our Face too (sic).”
On Saturday, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley,
speaking at the Aaj Tak Conclave in New Delhi, had flatly ruled out compromise.
Jaitley insisted that most ex-servicemen have gratefully accepted the
government’s OROP award, with only “fringe elements” continuing the agitation.
UFESM officeholders say there are two key sticking
points in the way of a settlement. First, the OROP award mandates that the
pension in each pay grade would be based on the average salary that grade. The
UFESM insists pension must be based on the top salary in each scale.
Second, ex-servicemen demand that all
pensions be based on salaries as on March 31, 2014. The OROP award bases them
on the median salary of calendar year 2013, depriving ex-servicemen of one
annual increment.
A third contentious issue --- denying OROP
benefits to ex-servicemen who opt in the future for premature retirement ---
appears to have been dropped by the UFESM.
Say UFESM leaders, anonymously: “The bill to
meet our two demands would be just Rs 3,000 crore, over and above Rs 8,300
crore that the government has put as the annual cost of OROP. Given that just
14 per cent of this would be paid out to officers, and 86 per cent would go to
enlisted men, the government should not withhold it.”
The resilience of the UFESM agitation and
its on-going programme of rallies across the country have surprised the
government.
Typical camel and the tent story - first government promises a largess, then the promise is made into a demand and when the demand is fulfilled - it is not enough.
ReplyDeleteRidiculous farce . If it is "only" 3000 crores, then why are the Ex-service men making such a fuss, let them "waive it off" to help the country meet its Fiscal targets. They want the "max" pension possible - but in return call their new demand as "just 3000 crore" .
You are right. Govt should not give OROP TO DEFENCE as well as no NFU to civilians. Just go back to 1973 position for all.
DeleteThere is only one way to deal with this nonsense. In The Next Election form a political party of Ex Servicemen ONLY. Not even Cops and CAPF guys. Under No circumstances form an alliance with any other parties.
ReplyDeleteEnsure no single X serviceman and their families person votes for any other party thereby ensuring that None of the Present Political Parties BJP, Congress, SP AAP win.
Its time Ex servicement took political control of the country and did so in a legal way.
General Public will not rally without mmoney, but will certainly Vote for such a party.
@Anonymous 20:37 -
ReplyDeleteIf you dont understand the technicalities dont comment. It is not a question of 3000 crores it is question of equality in terms of remuneration.
They dont want more or less, which by the way they are at the bottom as per 7th Pay commission, they want pay parity with Other Sarkari Babus who dont do quarter the works they have already done and sit in the office till they die or turn 60 and no Modi, No MMS, No Kejriwal can fire if they dont perform.
@anonymous 20.37
ReplyDeleteYou are putting the cart before the horse.The demands were first made and then to meet the same promises were made.So now it is a question of fulfilling the promises made.
ramani