New Delhi: Agitating ex-servicemen on Friday boycotted the golden jubilee celebrations of the 1965 war after rejecting Government's latest offer on resolving the vexed issue of OROP over which they started protests 75 days ago.
"Whatever they have finally offered is not acceptable to us. Yesterday what was told to us is nowhere close to the definition" that had been decided and accepted by Parliament," Maj Gen Satbir Singh (Retd), Chairman of the Indian Ex-Servicemen Movement said.
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| They were saying it will be done after five years which is totally incorrect because it will defeat the very definition of OROP," Satbir said.He said that the ex-servicemen have turned down government's offer to increase pension every five years instead of doing it annually. |
"We are also firm on our stand that the base year has to be 2013-14 and that payment should begin from April 1, 2014. OROP should not be left to the 7th Pay Commission and the definition has to be the same as accepted by Parliament," he said.
Government is insisting that 2011 be made the base year while making it clear that there will be no three per cent annual increase. It also wants payment to begin from April 1, 2015, which has been rejected by the veterans.
Unhappy with the prolonged delay by the Government in setting a timeframe for OROP, the veterans boycotted Friday's golden jubilee celebrations of the 1965 war with Pakistan.
Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar drew flak from the veterans for his remarks that Government needs "some time" to fill "small gaps" for implementation of OROP.
"Now the small gaps are being filled. Give it some time for completion. In principle, the Prime Minister on August 15 (Independence Day Speech) has given his approval. Now, PMO is directly involved...then by saying that do it in these many days will not help. "All efforts are being made to solve the issue," he said.
The protesters said they are "disheartened" by Parrikar's remarks to reporters on the sidelines of a function here.
"What Raksha Mantri said, I'm rather disheartened. He is now saying that there are gaps. He cannot say anything that is totally different than what was told to us all these days," Satbir said.
"Hundreds of veterans who participated in the 1965 war joined the protest and boycotted the Golden jubilee program organized by the government," a statement by the United Front of Ex-Servicemen, the umbrella organisation of veterans leading the OROP protest, said.
"Notable amongst the 1965 war veterans (who joined the OROP protest on Friday) were Brigadier D P Nayar who had participated in Hajipir operation and Wing Commander Vinod Nebb (Vir Chakra) who brought down one enemy aircraft in Punjab sector," the statement added.
However, the Defence Ministry in the evening released pictures showing certain veterans at the wreath-laying ceremony organised at the Amar Jawan Jyoti at India Gate.
A delegation of ex-servicemen on Friday met Home Minister Rajnath Singh who assured them that necessary action will be taken by the government which has already in-principle accepted their demand.
"Work is on to find out a solution but it needs some more time", he told the veterans, official sources said.
Satbir said the veterans have requested a meeting with the Prime Minister.
"I am sure Prime Minister is the last word and he had assured us....we tell him the correct position. All the wrong information fed by the babus would be thrown away and what is right will be accepted," he said.
Asked if the veterans are going to give an ultimatum, he said they are soldiers and hence don't believe in setting deadlines.
"If Prime Minister says that give us another 1 or 2 days, 5 days, 1 week or 10 days... anything but let him look into our eyes and say so," he said.
Army chief Dalbir Singh Suhag on Thursday had met representativces of ex-servicemen at his South Block office but there was "no forward movement", they later said.
Close to 22 lakh retired servicemen and over six lakh war widows stand to be the immediate beneficiaries of the scheme, which envisages a uniform pension for the defence personnel who retire in the same rank with the same length of service, irrespective of their date of retirement.
Currently, the pension for retired personnel is based on the Pay Commission recommendations of the time when he or she retired. So, a Major General who retired in 1996 draws less pension than a Lt Colonel who retired after 1996.
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