New Delhi: Armed forces veterans staging a protest in New Delhi to
press their demand for 'One Rank One Pension' (OROP) said today that
they have no faith in Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar's statement that
the OROP notification would be issued after the Bihar polls.
"The minister has changed the goalposts and hence the veterans have no
faith in this statement," Major General Satbir Singh (retd), who has
been spearheading the Indian ex-servicemen's movement on the issue, told
IANS.
"Keeping in view the track record of the government and the minister on
OROP implementation, we have no faith in this statement. This is just
another statement. He has been changing the goalposts," Mr Satbir Singh
said.
"He said it is a gift. What gift? It is our right... not a gift. We are
very angry and aghast at the delay in (implementation of) an already
sanctioned scheme," said the veteran soldier.
On Sunday, the veterans wrote a letter signed in blood to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
"The government announcement on September 5 regarding OROP has seven
serious shortcomings. If implemented without the removal of these
shortcomings, it will kill the very definition of OROP which has been
approved by two parliaments, strongly recommended by the Koshyari
Committee and promised by you to ex-servicemen and armed forces
personnel," the letter said.
Mr Parrikar toady said the OROP notification would come after the Bihar
polls, and the government was trying to issue it before Diwali, which
falls on November 11.
The fifth and last phase of Bihar polls would take place on November 5,
with counting of votes on November 8. The model code of conduct will
remain in force till November 12.
Read at: NDTV
