NEW DELHI: Criticising attitude of veterans protesting against One Rank One Pension notification, the defence minister Manohar Parrikar on Tuesday said their behavior is “unlike that of a soldier” and they have been misguided even as he asked them not to link their decision to return medals to a financial demand. He said he was “pained” to see such tactics being used.
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Speaking on the occasion of launch of a Coast Guard ship in Goa, the defence minister said,”Medals are given by the country for the service and gallantry acts that the soldiers have rendered. A section insisting on returning the medals because one is not happy with certain clauses of OROP, for which the government is paying over `8,000 crore, is demeaning the medal itself.”
While noting that democracy gives everyone the right to protest, he urged the veterans not to return their medals which have been bestowed upon them by the country.
“These acts are not in line with the Army discipline. It is hurting the basic ethos of the Army,” Parrikar said here. He termed the one rank, one pension (OROP) decision his biggest achievement in the last one year and said it was the BJP Government that had finalised the measure.
People, who are still protesting, seems to have been misguided and 95 per cent of the veterans’ community is satisfied.
“If some still have any grievances, they can present their case to the Judicial Committee that will be set up,” he said.
He maintained that the major demands of the veterans had been met and that OROP has been finalised.
But the armed forces personnel who opt to get discharged on their request would henceforth not get OROP benefits. “It will be effective prospectively,” according to the notification. The notification does not include the demands for an annual equalisation of revised pension, for pegging the pension to the maximum of the current pensioners, and for appointing an Expert Commission with serving military personnel and ex-servicemen representatives.
Ex-servicemen, who have been protesting at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi since June, have rejected the notification. Hitting back at Parrikar for his comment that not all their demands can be met, Indian Ex-servicemen Movement (IESM) has said that the war veterans would be returning their medals to protest the government notification on OROP scheme.
Meanwhile on Tuesday, nearly 2,000 military veterans returned their medals in Delhi, Haryana and Punjab and also said they will observe a ‘Black Diwali’ to protest against the NDA Government going back on its assurance on the OROP scheme.
The Congress accused the government of practising “politics of deception”. Independent MP Rajeev Chandrasekhar, urged the veterans not to return their medals and asked them to engage with the Commission set up for redressal of pending issues.
‘Samarth’ Commissioned by DEF Min
New Delhi: The Coast Guard’s latest and largest offshore patrol vessel, Samarth, was commissioned by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar at Goa. With a displacement of 2450 tonnes, the ship is equipped with sophisticated technology, sensors, navigation, communication and weapon systems. Samarth is first in the series of six 105m offshore patrol vessels and has been built by Goa Shipyard. Samrath will be based in Goa and will be extensively used for Exclusive Economic Zone and other duties as it is set to be exploited extensively on the Western Seaboard. It will be carrying one twin-engine helicopter and five high-speed boats. It is also capable of carrying pollution response equipment to contain any oil spill at sea. The force currently has a fleet of 117 ships. 74 more ships are at various stages of construction at different shipyards. Samarth has a maximum speed of 23 knots and has an endurance of 6000 nautical miles at economical speed.ENS
[ New Indian Express ]Published: 11th November 2015 07:44 AM
Last Updated: 11th November 2015 09:32 AM
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