Ex-servicemen unhappy with announcement of pension hike

Ex-servicemen are unhappy with the pension hike announced by government saying it amounted to "wrong and deceitful" treatment of their long-pending 'One Rank One Pension' demand and vowed to continue struggle for their rights.

"It is deceiving. Government has wrongly interpreted the term 'One Rank One Pension' (OROP). They have not given OROP, instead they have just merely made an enhancement in pension," Chairman Indian Ex-Servicemen Movement (IESM) retired Lt Gen Raj Kadyan told PTI.

IESM wrote letters to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Defence Minister A K Antony and the three Service chiefs explaining how the government decision does not meet their long pending demand to ensure equitable pensions.

"Ex-servicemen expect the government to do justice to them. This announcement has further disillusioned the ex-servicemen fraternity who have decided to intensify their protest in a dignified manner on all India basis," IESM

Vice-Chairman Maj Gen Satbir Singh wrote in the letter to the prime minister.

"To illustrate, a sepoy, naik and havlidar have been given an increase of only Rs 400 per month, whereas a sepoy who retired on January 2012 draws approximately Rs 4,000 more than those who retired prior to 2006," he explained in the letter, adding that similarly disparity exists in the officer ranks too.

Government had on Monday announced a decision to address the pensionary issues of ex-servicemen.

"The gap in pension of pre-and post-January 2006 retiree jawans will be bridged by determining the pension of pre-January 2006 pensioners on basis of notional maximum for ranks and groups across three Services as in case of post-January 2006 retirees," it had said in a release.

The jubilation of the ex-servicemen community waned today after realising that the government announcement does not ensure an equal pension irrespective of the year of retirement.

"It is a joke. They have cheated. They have announced something even less than the Sixth Pay Commission. How can even they call it meeting the demands of ex-servicemen under the OROP?" Lt Gen (retd) R K Sawhney said.

Ex-servicemen have been demanding implementation of 'One Rank One Pay' under which personnel retiring at same rank and putting in same length of service should get same pension irrespective of the year of retirement.

As per the present system, ex-servicemen under the 6th Pay Commission get more pension than their counterparts who have retired under previous pay commissions.