Union Urban Development Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu on Saturday asked the Congress Party not to politicise the issue of One Rank, One Pension (OROP).
"Do not politicise the issue. You (Congress) have failed. We are moving forward in that direction and there has been progress. I am confident the government will find a solution to it," Naidu told ANI.
"Discussion is going on regarding what will be its economic implications. The Congress Government was in power for ten years, why did not they implement it? Is (Rs.) 400-500 crore enough for it?" he added.
"The government is trying to find a proper solution to it. The finance and the defence ministries, and the Prime Minister's Office are involved in the discussions. It is the duty of the government to pay respect to the ex-servicemen," Naidu said.
Naidu further added, "No one needs to have any doubt regarding our intention. The discussion is going on and it is always good to have discussion in a democracy. The Congress did not do anything in ten years, and now, they are criticising us. If it is so easy, then why did not they do it in ten years?"
The long awaited announcement on the OROP scheme is likely to be made by the government today.
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The government has been facing criticism after its determination to stick to its position on a five-year reset clause, while the military veterans are insisting the pensions be revised at least once every two years.
The ex-servicemen had originally demanded an annual adjustment. The OROP scheme has been a long-standing demand of nearly three million ex-servicemen and war widows in the country.