ESM : 'Jang-e-Azaadi’ project - Rachna Khaira

Ex-servicemen train guns at Punjab govt, threaten to halt ‘Jang-e-Azaadi’ project

 

 

 

While training guns at Punjab government over its silence on the dilution of One Rank One pension (OROP) issue, the ex-servicemen in the state said though the state assembly had passed a resolution in 2011 and demanded that the then Congress-led UPA government implement the OROP according to the recommendations made by Bhagat Singh Koshyari Committee, it has failed to do so now despite being an ally of the BJP-led Union Government.

While declaring Jalandhar as the next battle ground for fighting the OROP war on Wednesday, the United Ex-Servicemen Front claiming to have a strong base of around 2,000 members in the state, announced to hold a state-level rally here on October 18.

“Why has state government not reacted to the dilution being made by the Modi government even though it had supported the Koshyari Committee recommendations earlier? This has exposed the indifferent attitude of the state government towards the armed forces and their political interest reigning higher over the concerns of the ex-servicemen,” said Maj Gen (retd) KS Aujla, SM.

He said the much celebrated slogan of ‘Jai Jawan Jai Kisan’ have lost its significance in the state as both the communities are presently sitting on roads to claim their rights and no support have so far been extended by the state government to address their concern.

Also, slamming Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his much controversial statement of giving credit to poor people for the implementation of the OROP in the country during the inauguration of the international airport at Chandigarh recently, the ex-servicemen have demanded the state government to halt the work of all the war memorials, including ‘Jang-E-Azadi’ which was being built in the memory of freedom fighters and martyrs in Kartarpur at an estimated cost of a whooping Rs 200 crores allocated by the Union Government.

Brig (retd) Amarjeet Singh Minhaas said, “It is of no use to construct mammoth monuments in the memory of freedom fighters and war heroes when the respective state and Union governments have failed to address the concern of existing ones that forms a major share of the population.”

“The ex-servicemen and their dependents alone constitutes around 25 lakh strong vote bank in the state. Also, besides contributing majorly in the freedom struggle and all the wars of independent India, the state is still known to be the highest contributor to the armed forces,” said Brig Minhas who along with many others have threatened to stop the ongoing construction work at various war memorials, including Amritsar and ‘Jang-E-Azaadi’ at Kartarpur if Union Government fails to notify the implementation of the OROP soon in the country. 

Also, declaring Jalandhar as the next battle ground for fighting the OROP war, the United Ex-sevicemen Front has announced to hold the first state-level rally on the OROP here on October 18.

Number game of OROP

The Koshyari Committee recommended in 2011 that OROP be implemented and the financial impact would be:

• Initial (including payment of arrears): Rs 3,000 crore
• Annual recurring expenditure: Rs 1,300 crore
• JCOs and other ranks: Rs 1,065 crore
• Officers: Rs 235 crore

However, not satisfied with the figures made available, the committee was provided estimates by the Ministry of Finance. The figure was on Jan 1, 2006,  filed on July 5, 2011 and revised on Aug 1, 2011 @10% increase per annum

• 2012-1: Rs 1,430 crore
• 2013-14: Rs 1,573 crore
• 2014-15: Rs 1,730 crore
• 2015-16: Rs 1,930 crore
• 2016-16: Rs 2,379 crore due to 25% increase in Seventh Central Pay Commission

Recommendations by Cabinet Secretary and committee of secretaries in 2012 reinforced the amount required as:

• Annual expenditure= Rs 1,400 crore
• Initial expenditure= Rs 8,000-Rs 9,000 crore

 

Rachna Khaira

[ Tribune News Service ] Jalandhar, October 7