OROP stir: Ex-servicemen not impressed by Modi's assurance, say agitation will continue

Courtesy: ANI

New Delhi: Shortly after Prime Minister Narendra Modi assured the ex-servicemen over the implementation of One Rank One Pension, Major General (retd) Satbir Singh on Sunday thanked him but said that the relay hunger strike will continue “until their concerns are addressed by the government”.

“We have asked the government to look into four issues including equalisation of pension every year instead of after five years,” he said while addressing media in the national capital.

The other issues raised include expanding judicial commission which would comprise five members instead of one.

“We want the commission to include three ex-servicemen, one serving member and one member appointed by Defence Minister,” he said.

He also thanked PM Modi and Defence Minister for the OROP announcement and clarification over VRS.

The ex-servicemen urged his colleagues sitting on hunger strike till death to call it off.

The OROP scheme has been a long-standing demand of ex-servicemen's associations and relates to payment of uniform pension to defence forces personnel retiring in the same rank with the same length of service, irrespective of their date of retirement.

OROP policy is expected to benefit 25 lakh ex-servicemen and widows of defence personnel.