New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday promised the nation’s ex-servicemen that the decision on the One Rank One Pension (OROP) Scheme would be taken soon.
(Read: 69th Independence Day celebrations highlights)
“I am saying in front of the tricolour that the government has accepted the pending demand of OROP. Talks are going on, and very soon, a decision would be reached. Discussions have come to the final leg. We are finding a solution, and I am hoping for a positive result,” he said during his second Independence Day address to the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort.
“Many governments have come and gone. They all made small promises. Our government also made the promise on OROP, but because of certain reasons, we were unable to do it. But I promise again,” he added.
The ex-servicemen, who are protesting over the implementation of OROP at Jantar Mantar, said on Saturday that they would intensify their agitation.
Major General (retd.) Satbir Singh said that bureaucracy is the main obstacle in the implementation of OROP.
“This is not about hope, this is our right. This is injustice, it has already been 17 months, what is stopping the government…The bureaucracy does not want that it is given to soldiers…We will intensify the agitation,” he said.
OROP scheme has been a long-standing demand of nearly three-million ex-servicemen and war widows in the country. It seeks to ensure that a uniform pension is paid to defence personnel, who retire at the same rank with the same length of service irrespective of their date of retirement.
No caste, no creed
In a marathon address to the nation from the ramparts of Red Fort, PM underlined India’s unity and diversity and said the poison of casteism and communal frenzy have no place in the country.
While talking about efforts for development, Modi made a strong pitch for communal harmony and peace. “The world keeps signing praise about India’s diversity and greatness. Like diversity, the country also has simplicity and unity, which are our capital. These have been nurtured over the centuries.
This capital has to be preserved,” he said.
“Be it the poison of casteism or the frenzy of communalism, these have no place in the country and should not be allowed to grow. These ills have to be eradicated through the nectar of development,” he said
Nipping out corruption
Modi, in his second Independence Day address, focussed largely on the issue of corruption and asserted that the steps taken by his government over the last 15 months to deal with the “termite” had started yielding results.
Responding to opposition criticism that nothing is happening on the problem of black money, he said “some people love to spread pessimism” as he informed that about Rs 6500 cr of undeclared money has been disclosed during the compliance window provided by the government.
He spoke about a number of initiatives to end corruption and bring transparency and proposed doing away with the practice interviews for small jobs, contending that this becomes a route for corruption.
(With inputs from agencies)