Day 73: Ex-servicemen during a protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on Wednesday. Tribune Photo: Mukesh Aggarwal
New Delhi, August 26
Three sticking points
- The government wants 2011 to be the base year, but veterans want all past pensioners to be brought on a par with pension as on March 31, 2014
- The veterans want a 3 per cent increment every year, but the government is not agreeing to the demand
- The government wants payment to begin from April 1, 2015 as against the agreed date of April 1, 2014.
Deadlock persisted over the “one
rank, one pension” row as the protesting ex-servicemen today rejected
government’s formula for its implementation saying an attempt was being made to
“shortchange” them.
“The government is bent on
short-changing. There are only three points of contention,” a key functionary
of the ex-servicemen community said. The government wants 2011 to be the base
year besides no 3 per cent annual increase, he said, adding it also wants
payment to begin from April 1, 2015 as against the agreed date of April 1,
2014.
“We have rejected the proposal.
Escalation of our protest in expected. The complicated arithmetic will mean
reduced payout,” he said.
The development came on a day when
Prime Minister Narendra Modi held consultations with his key Cabinet ministers
on “overall situation” in the country arising out of politically charged
issues, including OROP.
The ex-servicemen warned again on
Wednesday morning that they would scale up the agitation if their demands were
not met. Two more joined the fast-unto-death today. They were retired Navy
commander AK Sharma and Sanwal Ram Yadav, father of martyr Lance Naik Sunil
Kumar Yadav.
Army Chief
Gen Dalbir Singh Suhag had last night held a two-hour meeting with
representatives of ex-servicemen. Sources in the government indicated in the
wake of differences persisting, it may take some more time before a final
resolution is found. — Agencies
THE TRIBUNE
