PM Narendra Modi celebrates Diwali with jawans, says OROP first installment of Rs 5500 crore paid

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today visited Sumdo near the India-China frontier, in Himachal Pradesh, to celebrate Diwali with the jawans.

Modi interacted with jawans from the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and the Indian Army, and offered sweets to them.

While addressing the army jawans, he said that as part of the One Rank One Pension (OROP) scheme implementation, the first installment of Rs 5500 crore has been paid. He said that giving OROP to the ex-servicemen was a promise that he had made, and he was happy that he had been able to fulfil it.

"The OROP was not about just Rs 200 or Rs 500 crore, but Rs 10,000 crore... After I became the PM, and decided that I had to do (implement) it, the entire government lost sleep over it... It was not possible for the government to pay in one go, so I requested the ex-servicemen to accept it in four instalments.”

"The money will reach them in four installments. Nearly, Rs 5,500 crore has been paid as the first installment," Modi said.

He said the issue had been pending for "40 years" as certain people in the previous governments "did not know" about OROP (scheme), and therefore "only Rs 500 crore was allocated" for the purpose.

Addressing the jawans, he said he had been visiting armed forces personnel every year on Diwali since 2001. ​Army Chief Gen. Dalbir Singh, was present on the occasion.

Modi also met personnel of the General Reserve Engineering Force (GREF), a branch of Border Roads Organisation (BRO), entrusted with construction and maintenance of border roads and also executing the Rohtang Tunnel project, the official said.

He mentioned the tremendous response from people across the country, to his appeal for sending messages to soldiers as part of the #Sandesh2Soldiers campaign.

In his 'Mann ki Baat' programme on All India Radio earlier today, he saluted the valour of the armed forces and dedicated the festival of Diwali to them.

While returning from Sumdo, the Prime Minister halted briefly at a nearby village - Chango. He exchanged Diwali greetings, interacted with the people there, and offered sweets to children.