New Delhi: Social activist Anna Hazare on Wednesday announced that he would go on indefinite hunger strike from October 02 over Land Acquisition Bill and One Rank, One Pension (OROP).
Hazare will stage his strike from Ramlila Maidan in Delhi.
The veteran anti-corruption activist has already voiced his opposition against the contentious land bill.
Hazare had earlier this year written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him not to pass the new ordinance on the legislation.
The septuagenarian Gandhian, meanwhile, today met former defence officials at his native village Ralegan Siddhi in Ahmednagar district and discussed ways in which the OROP issue could be taken up with the government.
Hazare recently said the BJP-led government at the Centre had not shown as much interest towards the implementation of the OROP scheme as it has shown towards the passing of the Land Acquisition Bill, adding that the jawans retired from the Armed forces deserved to lead a dignified life.
Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar has assured time and again that the NDA government was committed to 'One Rank, One Pension', but protesting ex-servicemen are not much hopeful.
Since June 15, ex-servicemen have been sitting on a relay hunger strike on the issue at the Jantar Mantar in the national capital.
Ex-servicemen are demanding that the government give them a definite date for implementation of the OROP. They have also demanded that the nature of the scheme should not be changed.
Currently, the pension for retired personnel is based on the pay commission recommendations in force at the time of their retirement.
This leads to difference in pensions of officers of the same rank who retire on different dates.
