<p> The government is considering appointing a committee under a judge to go into the issue of equalisation of pension, a leader of the ex-servicemen group fighting for One Rank One Pension said after a meeting with Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Maj Gen Satbir Singh (retd), Chairman of Indian Ex-Servicemen said the government while accepting the concept of the OROP, was still insisting on pension revision every five years and that is why it was thinking of constituting a committee.<br /><br />Singh said after the meeting that in that case a representative of the veterans and one from the services should also be in the committee. He said the committee should not take more than one month.<br /><br />Ahead of government's likely announcement of OROP, Singh said government has broadly accepted the concept of the scheme and that they will study the details after it is made public.<br /><br />The delegation, he said, presented their views on the sticky issues including pension equalisation.<br /><br />"Government has accepted the OROP concept broadly," the Chairman of Indian Ex-Servicemen movement told reporters after the meeting.<br /><br />He said it was conveyed to the Defence Minister that no junior should get more pension than senior and that there is nothing like Voluntary Retirement Service in defence forces.<br />Sounding a conciliatory note, Singh said the government has accepted 60 per cent of the demands of the ex-servicemen.<br /><br />He, however, said the "bone of contention" -- revision of pension -- still remains.<br />After the meeting Parrikar met BJP President Amit Shah. Later a BJP leader said all demands of the ex-servicemen have been accepted except the pension revision demand.<br />BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi, who was present at the party chief's house, said government is close to announcing a solution that will cost the exchequer at least Rs 10,000 crore.<br /><br />The ex-servicemen have been demanding that the pension revision should take place at least in every two years while government has proposed a five-year revision.<br /><br />Singh said the ex-servicemen have conveyed to Parrikar that there is nothing like VRS in defence and that no junior should get more pension than senior.<br /><br />It is understood that a draft proposal on OROP was circulated at a RSS meeting yesterday which envisaged commencement of the scheme from July 2014, besides revision of pension every five years.<br /><br />According to the draft, the basis for the implementation of the scheme would be 2013 and arrears would be paid in four instalments.<br /><br />Close to 26 lakh retired servicemen and over six lakh war widows stand to be immediate beneficiaries of the scheme, which envisages a uniform pension for the defence personnel who retire in the same rank with the same length of service, irrespective of their date of retirement.<br /><br />Currently, the pension for retired personnel is based on the Pay Commission recommendations of the time when he or she retired. So, a Major General who retired in 1996 draws less pension than a Lt Colonel who retired after 1996.<br /></p>
<p> The government is considering appointing a committee under a judge to go into the issue of equalisation of pension, a leader of the ex-servicemen group fighting for One Rank One Pension said after a meeting with Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Maj Gen Satbir Singh (retd), Chairman of Indian Ex-Servicemen said the government while accepting the concept of the OROP, was still insisting on pension revision every five years and that is why it was thinking of constituting a committee.<br /><br />Singh said after the meeting that in that case a representative of the veterans and one from the services should also be in the committee. He said the committee should not take more than one month.<br /><br />Ahead of government's likely announcement of OROP, Singh said government has broadly accepted the concept of the scheme and that they will study the details after it is made public.<br /><br />The delegation, he said, presented their views on the sticky issues including pension equalisation.<br /><br />"Government has accepted the OROP concept broadly," the Chairman of Indian Ex-Servicemen movement told reporters after the meeting.<br /><br />He said it was conveyed to the Defence Minister that no junior should get more pension than senior and that there is nothing like Voluntary Retirement Service in defence forces.<br />Sounding a conciliatory note, Singh said the government has accepted 60 per cent of the demands of the ex-servicemen.<br /><br />He, however, said the "bone of contention" -- revision of pension -- still remains.<br />After the meeting Parrikar met BJP President Amit Shah. Later a BJP leader said all demands of the ex-servicemen have been accepted except the pension revision demand.<br />BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi, who was present at the party chief's house, said government is close to announcing a solution that will cost the exchequer at least Rs 10,000 crore.<br /><br />The ex-servicemen have been demanding that the pension revision should take place at least in every two years while government has proposed a five-year revision.<br /><br />Singh said the ex-servicemen have conveyed to Parrikar that there is nothing like VRS in defence and that no junior should get more pension than senior.<br /><br />It is understood that a draft proposal on OROP was circulated at a RSS meeting yesterday which envisaged commencement of the scheme from July 2014, besides revision of pension every five years.<br /><br />According to the draft, the basis for the implementation of the scheme would be 2013 and arrears would be paid in four instalments.<br /><br />Close to 26 lakh retired servicemen and over six lakh war widows stand to be immediate beneficiaries of the scheme, which envisages a uniform pension for the defence personnel who retire in the same rank with the same length of service, irrespective of their date of retirement.<br /><br />Currently, the pension for retired personnel is based on the Pay Commission recommendations of the time when he or she retired. So, a Major General who retired in 1996 draws less pension than a Lt Colonel who retired after 1996.<br /></p>