OROP promise fulfilled to ‘best of our understanding’: Parrikar

Visakhapatnam : With the Union Government issuing the tables for implementation of the One Rank One Pension (OROP) scheme, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Sunday said that the promises made by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been fulfilled to the best of their understanding.

“As far as OROP is concerned, it is the promise of BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi and to the best of our understanding of the issue, we have fulfilled it. It is an issue, which was not fulfilled for 43 years. It was an issue where assurances were given with an arrangement of Rs. 500 crores,” Parrikar told the media here.

“As promised by the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi before elections, we have already issued tables of various pensions as per the OROP scheme, involving approximately Rs.7,500 crores of funds of annual requirement and Rs.10,980 crores of arrears which would be paid in four installments,” he said.

The Defence Minister said that provisions have been made so as to ensure that even small issues are addressed.

“A common formula cannot solve all the issues. So, if there are any issues left, they can be raised with the government, refer it to the one-man commission and then we can come out with a redressal of issue,” he said.

The Centre had on Wednesday issued the tables for implementation of the OROP scheme, thereby fulfilling the long-standing demand of the defence personnel after 42 year.

The arrears from July 1, 2014 to December 31, 2015 would be approximately costing Rs. 10,900 crore. Over 86 percent of the total expenditure on account of OROP will benefit the JCOs/ORs.

The payment of arrears and revision of pension under OROP is to be made by the Pension Disbursing Authorities in four installments, except for family pensioners and pensioners in receipt of gallantry awards who will be paid arrears in one installment.

The total increase in the Defence Budget for pensions is estimated to go up from Rs. 54,000 crore (BE 2015-16) to around Rs. 65,000 crore (proposed BE 2016-17), thereby increasing the Defence Pension outlay by about 20 percent.

The OROP scheme is set to benefit over 18 lakh ex-servicemen and war widows. (ANI)