Armed forces frown upon OROP for all government employees

NEW DELHI: The armed forces on Friday grappled with the "fine-print and detailed implications" of the Seventh Pay Commission report but were stunned that a virtual one rank, one pension ( OROP) has been recommended for all government employees, including paramilitary forces.

"OROP for military veterans is premised on the fact that our jawans retire at 35-38, and most officers in their early-50s, to keep the forces young and fighting fit. They are denied the opportunity for longer service at higher pay grades, and consequently denied higher pensions," said a senior officer.

"Terms and conditions of military service are also much tougher. But if everyone is going to get OROP now, then will all military personnel also be allowed to serve till 60 like their civilian and paramilitary counterparts," he added.

Officers also said that an initial reading of the pay commission recommendations also suggest many of the "anomalies" of the Sixth Pay Commission, which were not resolved over the last 10 years, have still remained unaddressed.

As earlier reported by TOI, a section of military veterans continue to protest against what they hold is a "diluted" OROP, which was notified by the government on November 7. As per the government, the OROP being implemented for the over 24 lakh ex-servicemen and six lakh widows in the country will entail an additional outgo of over Rs 8,000 crore every year.

OROP basically means payment of uniform pension to personnel retiring in the same rank with the same length of service, irrespective of their date of retirement. The veterans maintain the government has not resolved any of the seven main anomalies pointed out by them.

They are particularly angry that the government did not accept their case for "pension equalization or adjustment" every year, and instead notified that it will be done only at five-year intervals. This, say the veterans, will mean "one rank, five pensions" and not OROP as it has been consistently defined.