Ex-servicemen delegation meets Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on OROP issue

NEW DELHI: A delegation of ex-servicemen today met Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and requested him to extend the benefit of One Rank One Pension ( OROP) to those who have taken pre-mature retirement.

"We gave memorandum with 2-3 issues where we feel notification could have been better if it had covered these issues," United Front of Ex Servicemen Secretary General Lt Col Dinesh Nain said after the meeting with the Finance Minister.

The issues include pre-mature retirement and fixing of the benchmark, he said.

As per the notification issued on November 7, if someone has taken pre-mature retirement, the person will not be entitled for the benefit of OROP.

"Although we will go to judicial commission, it is better that the government resolve it without the need to go to judicial commission," he said.

The long-pending OROP for ex-servicemen was brought into force on November 7 with government issuing a notification to benefit more than 2.5 million veterans and war widows.

However, the protesting ex-servicemen rejected the notification, saying their main demands have not been accepted and it has become 'one-rank-five-pension'.

The notification is almost similar to the announcement made by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on 5 September.