Technical difficulties in the implementation of OROP will be resolved soon- Defence Minister

The government is committed to OROP. Only arithmetic translation of the principle is being worked out

The demand for the One Rank, One Pension (OROP) policy took a political turn Friday as about 200 officers of the Delhi Police tried to get former servicemen protesting at Jantar Mantar to vacate the spot, citing security protocol ahead of Independence Day.

As police action evoked criticism, frantic calls were made by ex-servicemen to Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, Minister of State for External Affairs Gen (retd) V K Singh and Delhi Police Commissioner B S Bassi, following which policemen left the venue and allowed the ex-servicemen to continue their protests. Parrikar said there were “technical difficulties” in the implementation of OROP, but added, “Welfare measures pertaining to pension, including broad-banding, ex-gratia compensation and OROP, are receiving highest priority of the government.”

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, too, said, “The government is committed to OROP. Only arithmetic translation of the principle is being worked out.”

As the government tried to pacify the protesters, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi made a visit to the venue to extend support to the protesters. Some ex-servicemen, however, asked him why the UPA did not implement OROP during its tenure. “This is a black day in Indian democracy. The guardians of national security have been asked to vacate the venue citing security. We told the policemen, you are teaching the guardians a lesson on security,” said Group Captain (retd) V K Gandhi, general secretary of the Indian Ex-Servicemen Movement (IESM)