Driving Naari Programme launched in Chandigarh
New Delhi
A day after The Tribune reported that an increase in pension of nearly 25 lakh retired soldiers was stuck, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh today formed a committee to work out the modalities and method of next revision of pension under the ‘One Rank One Pension’ (OROP) formula.
Headed by the Controller General of Defence Accounts (CGDA), the committee will have representatives of all three armed forces, the Ministry of Defence and its finance wing. It has been asked to submit a report within one month. It will make specific recommendations on how the OROP equalisation should be done.
Reacting to the development, Indian Ex-Servicemen Movement (IESM) chairman Maj Gen Satbir Singh (retd) said: “A provision exists for equalisation of the pension in the notification (of OROP). Constituting another committee to seek recommendation may not be appropriate. There is no need for such a committee.”
Equalisation of pensions means the pension of defence personnel who retire now will be passed to all the past pensioners of the same class (same rank with same length of service), the IESM said, seeking cancellation of the committee. The matter for addressing the anomalies is pending before the Supreme Court and the next date of hearing is August 6.
The issue has cropped up as the CGDA has questioned the process of OROP revision (equalisation) once the pension of past and current pensioners was equated on January 1, 2016, following the 7th Pay Commission.
