With reference to the report, "One rank, one pension comes at a high cost" (August 17), politicians should have evaluated the issue before making it an election agenda last year. So that the Indian Army remains young and fit, soldiers start retiring between 34 and 37 years of age. In any civil profession, this age bracket would be considered the prime of youth.
The Bhagat Singh Koshyari committee, which examined the one rank one pension (OROP) issue and submitted its report in 2011 when the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) was in power, estimated that the money needed for OROP was Rs 8,300 crore. However a mere provision of Rs 500 crore in UPA's last Budget and Rs 1,000 crore in the National Democratic Alliance's Budget last year for OROP show that both the ruling coalitions were not sincere about the scheme.
The demand for OROP is legitimate and does not deserve this kind of procrastination. The leadership at the Centre must not treat the most apolitical segment of our polity in this manner. The finance ministry's fears that handing out equal pension to military veterans will trigger a similar demand from the paramilitary forces is not convincing.
M M Gurbaxani Bengaluru
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