Congress leader Captain Amarinder Singh today hit out at the Centre over the issue of 'One-Rank-One-Pension' (OROP) for the armed forces, saying that no country treats its ex-servicemen "as badly" as India has been doing under the present government.
Expressing his solidarity with the ex-servicemen, he said that he will be participating in the rally proposed to be held next month on the issue.
"They have given their entire life to the nation and now it is the duty of the nation to pay them back", Singh asserted.
In a statement issued here today, Amarinder said it was the worst of "betrayal" with the ex-servicemen of the country despite the previous UPA government having approved it.
"This is yet another betrayal by the Prime Minister with the nation", he alleged while adding, that now it has been established beyond doubt that he (PM) only "talks without meaning to do anything".
The Congress leader disclosed that he had written to the Defence Minister before the budget seeking that the OROP should be announced without any delay.
He said the Defence Minister had in his reply assured that the modalities were being worked out and the issue shall be settled soon.
"Now it is about five months, nothing has been done. Neither does the government appear to be intending to do anything," he added.
OROP has been a long-standing demand of the over two million ex-servicemen of India. It seeks to ensure that a uniform pension is paid to the defence personnel retiring in the same rank with the same length of service, irrespective of their date of retirement.
The scheme is estimated to cost around Rs 8,600 crore initially and subsequently several crore rupees annually.
Currently, all pre 2006 (the year the 6th pay panel recommendations became effective) pensioners receive lesser pension than not only their counterparts but also their juniors.
