In a move that would bring relief to over 1.2 million ex-servicemen, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) issued orders to implement pending pensionary benefits to them, involving an annual expenditure of about Rs 2,200 crore.
The decision followed recommendations by a high-level committee and a recent assurance in this regard in the Lok Sabha by Prime Minister (PM) Manmohan Singh.
With these orders, the ministry has implemented all the seven recommendations of the committee headed by Cabinet Secretary K M Chandrasekhar on pensions, which would now be close to the ‘One Rank-One Pension’ (OROP) demand of ex-servicemen, senior ministry officials said today.
“The MoD issued the orders on March 8 this year to implement the remaining two of the seven suggestions of the K M Chandrasekhar-headed committee on ‘OROP’ demand,” they said.
The two recommendations for which the orders were issued were bringing parity between pension of pre- and post-October 10, 1999, for personnel below officer rank, and further improving their pensions based on an award of a Group of Ministers in 2006.
“With this order, the pensionary benefits of officers and jawans comes to near OROP benefits sought by the ex-servicemen,” they added.
To queries on the order, MoD spokesperson Sitanshu Kar said implementation of the orders would not only significantly reduce the gap between the past and current pensioners, but also considerably improve the pension of ex-servicemen, including disabled pensioners.
“It will benefit 1.2 million ex-servicemen at a cost of Rs 2,200 crore approximately, annually,” Kar added.
The PM had told the Lok Sabha on March 5, in reply to BJP leader L K Advani’s contention on implementation of OROP, that five of the seven recommendations of the Chandrasekhar Committee were implemented and the remaining two would be fulfilled soon.
