Ex-servicemen continue to step up stir over OROP, 6 Army veterans on fast-unto-death

New Delhi: The pressure continues to mount on the Narendra Modi government over the implementation of One Rank One Pension (OROP) issue, with as many as six servicemen going on fast-unto-death at Jantar Mantar in the national capital.

The fast-unto-death, which began with two people on August 16, a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi was expected to announce the implementation of OROP from Red Fort, has now been joined by four others, of which two are in hospital currently.

The Army veterans currently on fast-unto-death are Colonel Pushpender Singh, Havaldar Major Singh, Havaldar Sahib Singh, Havaldar Ashok Chauhan, Major Piar chand and Naik Uday Singh.

One of the veterans, Havaldar Major Singh, who had earlier refused to go to hospital, has now refused to even take water.

Army veterans have resorted to the hunger strike even as reports said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to meet them and likely to announce OROP on August 28, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the 1965 war.

Meanwhile, the ex-servicemen told IBNLive that there was no confirmation on the possible meeting with PM Modi.

Brigadier JS Sandhu of the United Front of ex-servicemen said that there had been no direct talk with the government since the meeting with Nripendra Mishra, the Principal Secretary of the PMO.

He further said that the ex-servicemen were still of the belief that PM Modi would implement OROP but were disappointed with him, adding that they “want to meet Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar to know what transpired in the meeting between him and the Prime Minister.”

“We wonder why there is a doublespeak in the government and what forces are stopping him. He is a strong Prime Minister,” said Brigadier Sandhu, adding that the roadblock was the bureaucracy.

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 the defence personnel who retire in the same rank with the same length of service, irrespective of their date of retirement. Currently, the pension for ex-servicemen is based on the Pay Commission recommendations of the time when they had retired.