Finance
Prime Minister Narendra Modi underlined the government’s commitment to commemorating India’s military forces, hailing the ‘One Rank, One Pension’ (OROP) plan as an homage to the heroism and sacrifices of veterans and ex-service members as it celebrated its 10-year anniversary on Thursday.
Taking to X, PM Modi posted, “On this day, ‘One Rank, One Pension’ (OROP) was implemented. This was a tribute to the courage and sacrifices of our veterans and ex-service personnel who dedicate their lives to protecting our nation. The decision to implement OROP was a significant step towards addressing this long-standing demand and reaffirming our nation’s gratitude to our heroes.”
“It would make you all happy that over the decade, lakhs of pensioners and pensioner families have benefitted from this landmark initiative. Beyond the numbers, OROP represents the government’s commitment to the well-being of our armed forces,” he added.
The Prime Minister also emphasized the government’s commitment to doing all necessary to enhance the military forces and improve the lives of those who serve the country.
Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh praised OROP, describing it as a cornerstone of Prime Minister Modi’s armed forces policy.
“The ‘One Rank, One Pension’ (OROP) has been an important pillar of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s policy towards the Armed Forces. The Government under his leadership is committed to take care of the soldiers and their families,” Singh stated.
Sharing a video of the Indian armed forces, he noted, “More than 25 lakh veterans have been benefitted from the implementation of OROP. My gratitude to the Prime Minister for fulfilling the commitment given to the ex-servicemen of this country.”
OROP, which was established in 2014, is a long-awaited scheme that ensures retired military people get uniform pension payments based on rank and service time, regardless of retirement date.
This reform addressed pension inequalities, which occurred when employees with the same rank and service period but different retirement dates got differential payouts.
Previously, a Lieutenant General who retired in 1995 may earn a smaller pension than a colonel who retired after 2006, although having identical service duration.
All Defence pensioners who retired, dismissed, or were invalided out of duty on July 1 are entitled for the OROP pension, including Commissioned Officers, Honorary Commissioned Officers, JCOs/ORs, and non-combatants.
Source:IANS
