Will not accept any unilateral proposal: Army veterans on OROP
According to the proposal of the government which is said to have accepted 98 per cent demands of the army veterans though it has decided to stick to its offer of pay revision every five years, and not one or two years as demanded by the ex-servicemen.
There are reports that according to the proposal those ex-servicemen who have taken premature retirement after completing 20 years of service and get pension won't be included in One Rank One Pension scheme.
"There has been no official communication from the government on the announcement of OROP. The proposal is unacceptable. If this the proposal then protest will intensify," Colonel (retired) Anil Kaul told CNN-IBN.
Major General (retired) Satbir Singh, who is leading the protest, along with a few ex-servicemen is meeting Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and then the veterans will take a final decision.
"It is unacceptable that those who have retired voluntarily and get pension will not be included in OROP. Family pensioners and disability pensioners will also be included. Juniors getting pension more than seniors is unacceptable. If anyone from government can satisfy that this condition can be fulfilled even after 5 years of revision of pension, then we will think about it," he has been quoted as saying.
Meanwhile, Group Captain VK Gandhi has refuted reports of any veteran leaving the protest. "The protest will intensify. The government proposal is unacceptable. We will hold a mega rally 'Prestige Rally' on September 12," he told CNN-IBN.
Colonel Pushpender Singh, who is on fast-unto-death from August 16, said the proposal is unacceptable and he will continue with the hunger strike.
The hunger strike undertaken by war veterans in Delhi's Jantar Mantar has entered its 83rd day.
OROP was a key promise made by Prime Minister Narenrda Modi when he was campaigning for last year's national election. It will give the same pension to ex-servicemen who retired many years ago as that which soldiers of the same rank retiring now draw.
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