Fast-unto-death over OROP: Second army veteran rushed to hospital

NEW DELHI: Hawaldar (retd) Ashok Chauhan, on a fast-unto-death since August 18 over the non-implementation of the One Rank, One Pension ( OROP) scheme, was today taken to the army hospital after his health deteriorated, in what is the second such case in as many days.

Another protester, Col Pushpendra Singh, was taken to hospital yesterday after his medical report showed increased levels of ketone, which is toxic for the body.

Meanwhile, two more veterans, Maj (retd) Tyar Chand and Nayak (retd) Uday Singh, joined the fast-unto-death protest, which entered its ninth day today, at Jantar Mantar.

The OROP row escalated yesterday when Pushpendra Singh, fasting since last Tuesday, was shifted to the army hospital after his medical report showed increased ketone levels.

Even as Pushpendra Singh was being taken to the hospital, another veteran, Havildar (retd) Saheb Singh took his place among those on the fast-unto-death.

Ex-servicemen have been holding protests for over two months seeking the implementation of OROP and are hoping to soon meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Four former service chiefs recently wrote to President Pranab Mukherjee, the supreme commander of the armed forces, asking him to "urgently intervene" in the OROP row.

Ten former Service chiefs, too, have written a joint letter to Modi seeking early implementation of OROP.

Close to 22 lakh ex-servicemen and over six lakh war widows stand to be the immediate beneficiaries of the scheme, which envisages a uniform pension for defence personnel who retire in the same rank with the same length of service, irrespective of their date of retirement.

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 a lower pension than a Lieutenant Colonel who retired after 1996.