Tuesday, July 14, 2015

FLASH ...FLASH......FLASH....NEWS - OROP

FLASH ...FLASH......FLASH....NEWS - OROP

: Defence Minister meets PM over .

News Flash: Defence Minister meets PM Narendra Modi, OROP issue also discussed

India Today Online | July 14, 2015 | UPDATED 7.43 PM IST 07:27 PM
प्रधानमंत्री मोदी ने रक्षा मंत्री से की मुलाकात
प्रधानमंत्री मोदी ने रक्षा मंत्री से की मुलाकात. वन रैंक, वन पेंशन योजना पर की बातचीत.  Aaj TaK tv
 

Sunday, July 12, 2015

‘Born to battle’ batch joins OROP protest

‘Born to battle’ batch joins OROP protest
Veterans of the June 1971 batch of the IMA protest in New Delhi on Saturday. Mukesh Aggarwal
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, July 11
Veterans of the June 1971 batch of the Indian Military Academy (IMA), fondly called “Born to battle”, joined the protest against non-implementation of the one rank, one pension (OROP) at Jantar Mantar here today. India went to war with Pakistan in November-December 1971 and almost the entire batch of the June 1971 IMA passouts went to battle, hence the sobriquet ‘Born to battle’. Second Lieutenant Arun Khetrapal of the batch was awarded the Param Vir Chakra, the country’s highest battle honour, for his act of bravery at the famous ‘battle at Basantar’ in West Pakistan. More than 50 veterans of the batch arrived from all over the country, another three were represented by their wives and some of them by children. Lieutenant General Sujlana (retd), who is from the same batch, said among the protesters today were five retired Lieutenant Generals, four Major Generals and one Air Marshall of the Indian Air Force. General Sujlana commanded the 10 Corps at Bathinda and was commandant of the IMA. Major General Satbir Singh (retd) of The Indian Ex-servicemen Movement (IESM) said: “We are waiting for the government to implement the OROP by July 15 or we will intensify the agitation. There has been no feeler from the government as yet. We have already announced our intension for the programme beyond July 15.”

Friday, July 10, 2015

Madurai District Ex-Services League staging a demonstration in Madurai on Wednesday

DIGNIFIED Livelihood:Members of the Madurai District Ex-Services League staging a demonstration in Madurai on Wednesday.— Photo: S. James
The Hindu
DIGNIFIED Livelihood:Members of the Madurai District Ex-Services League staging a demonstration in Madurai on Wednesday.— Photo: S. James

The protestors demanded the Bahratiya Janata Party to keep its promise made in September 2013.

Members of the Madurai District Ex-services League staged a protest demonstration here on Wednesday demanding the Centre to implement “one rank one pension” for the armed forces veterans and family pensioners.
The protestors said that there was a huge difference in the pension given to those retired before 2006 and those who retired after that.
“The Bharatiya Janata Party had promised to implement “one rank one pension” in September 2013. But, it is yet to be implemented,” league’s general secretary M. Arumugam said.
All the governments in the Centre had in-principle agreed to implement “one rank one pension.”
“Even this was passed in Parliament in December 2014. But, the Centre was yet to issue a Government Order to facilitate its implementation,” Mr. Arumugam said.
Stating that the armed forces were protecting the hard-earned Independence of the country by toiling under trying conditions on the borders, Mr. Arumugam said that they sacrificed all their youthful days for the cause of the country.
“We are not allowed to work beyond 42 years of age so that the foot soldiers of the country remain young. After having served for 17 to 24 years in the armed forces, our pension is calculated on a pro-rata basis keeping 33 years of service as the basis. This leaves us with a very minimal pension and even in that there is lot of anomaly,” he also added.
He said that even the pension for the armed forces was reduced to 50 per cent (from 80 per cent) of the last drawn salary in the III Central Pay Commission.
Family pensioners
“The worst affected are the family pensioners. The young widows find it difficult to educate their children or marry off their daughters with the meagre pension,” he said.
The league had 2,500 members in Madurai district. Among others its president R. Govindaraj took part in the protest.
The agitators raised slogans urging the Centre not to force the World War II veterans and those who had participated in wars for the country in 1962, 1965, 1971 and 1999 to take to the streets for a dignified life.

Thursday, July 9, 2015

Implement One Rank One Pension to widows of martyrs & retired Armed forces:ANNA AZARE

To,
Hon. Narendra Modiji,
Prime Minister, Government of India,
South Block, Raisoni Hill,
New Delhi.

Sub- To implement One Rank One Pension to widows of martyrs & retired Armed forces
          Personnel.

Dear Sir,
              During election campaign you had assured the widows of martyrs & retired defence personnel’s mothers & sisters that, after winning the elections you would implementing the One Rank One Pension scheme as soon as possible. Your party’s agenda too had mentioned this. Your party has completed a year of power, but still the scheme One Rank One Pension, has not been implemented.
On 26.02.2015 the meeting of Ex-servicemen welfare Ministry was held under the chairmanship of Defence Minister, at Room no. 103, South Block, New Delhi. This meeting was attended by, defense Secretary,che three Vice Chiefs of Armed Forces, other senior officers from the Services Head Quarters & the concerned Joint Secretaries of the Ministry.
During the course of meeting, the Hon. Defence Minister reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to implement the OROP & that sufficient funds would be made available to ensure its timely implementation. He specifically indicated that the Finance Minister had also clarified that the figure of Rs.500 crore made available was only indicative & even if more funds are required, they would be made available. But so far there has been no action.
On the issue of OROP, citizens had filed petitions in the Supreme Court. The SC had directed the Govt. of India on 16.02.2015, to take decision regarding implementation of OROP, within three months’ time. No more time would be allotted now.
The SC had given time frame of three months to the govt. The Govt. has failed to take any decision in these three months’. The Govt. has not adhered to the SC’s directive. This is not in the interests of the govt.
Today many Retired Armed Forces Personnel’s receive very less pension due to non-implementation of OROP. The soldier after serving the motherland, is not able to lead his life with dignity. The Armed Forces martyrs have their widows and children left behind. Today these widows receive rupees Rs.4,000 to Rs.5000 Pension. How can these families survive, in this amount? How can they educate their children? The govt. must think about this seriously.
The armed forces personnel are serving the nation in severe conditions of 47 degrees temperature in the deserts, high mountainous ranges of Himalayas, Forests & snow clad regions across the borders of the motherland. But after retirement they are not able to lead the life of dignity due to low pension.
Being an armed forces personnel, I myself had lived a life in the snow clad mountainous regions of Himalayas. I had experienced harsh conditions in those days. One can never experience these conditions sitting in an air conditioned rooms. As the govt. is not sensitive about these hardships, the retired armed forces personnel’s, the widows of martyrs’, mothers, sisters, are leading a hard life due to low pensions.
You all Parliamentarians get amenities of railway, electricity, water, luxurious apartments and still feel that the salary of Rs.50,000 is to be raised to one lakh rupees, as it is inadequate. On one hand, the widows of martyrs & retired armed forces personnel are getting low pension of Rs.4,00 to Rs.5,000 and on the other hand, the salary of Rs.50,000 is too less  and therefore should be raised to one lakh rupees. The person demanding salary of one lakh are the servants of the nation. Isn’t it going to give rise to social inequality? The Constitution says that the social inequality should not rise in the country.
The Land Acquisition Ordinance was opposed in the Rajya Sabha as well as by the farmers in different parts of the country, but it gets passed in the Lok Sabha with majority, but the one rank one pension bill is not passed, which is unfortunate. To raise the salary to one lakh rupees is against the interest of the country but when this suggestion is brought in the Parliament, it could get passed. You have the majority but there is lack of will. Before entering the pious temple of democracy you had bowed your head at the doorsteps; we countrymen thought that sanctity of this institute would rise. After you have got power & majority in the Parliament, you all are demanding a rise in salary to one lakh rupees; are these the holy thoughts to be addressed in the pious temple of democracy?
In support of Lokpal & Lokayukta Bills, the public had come out on roads to express their discontent against the Congress govt. Under public pressure the govt. had to pass these laws. The President too had signed these laws. Last year I had wrote to you several letters regarding implementation of Lokpal & Lokayukta & Land Acquisition bills, but the govt. hasn’t replied me yet. Neither Lokpals nor Lokaayuktas are appointed. I had written to Congress govt. several times to pass the bills of Lokpal & Lokayukta, but since it ignored it, the public agitated in support of Lokpal & Lokayukta and crores of people participated. Once more I am planning to start a countrywide ि on the points of one rank one pension & land acquisition ordinance, for the welfare of farmers & soldiers. I am confident of public support & participation in this agitation. Many times I have repeatedly said that our agitation is not against any political party or any individual. For the last 30 years, I have been agitating for the benefit of the society & nation &its development. This time too, the agitation would be with selfless attitude & non-violence. The agitators would not be from any political party. However, during the agitation if any one wishes to join, we can’t stop them. But on the dais of the agitation, there won’t be anyone from any political party. On one side, you, as our PM is giving slogan of ‘Jai Jawan Jai Kisan’  but on the side, you are neglecting them.
Once again I request you to provide the citizens of this democratic nation, their rights, which they are eligible to. It’s the responsibility of the govt. to restore citizens’ their rights. It’s unbecoming of the govt, that the citizens have to come on the roads & agitate to get their rights. My next letter would contain the dates of agitation in Delhi & other parts of the country.

Thanking You,

Yours.
K. B. Alias Anna Hazare

Thanks with warm regards,

Anna Hazare Office,
(Bhrashtachar Virodhi Jan Andolan Nyas)
At & Post- Ralegansiddhi, Tal- Parner,
Dist- Ahmednagar, MS

EX-SERVICEMEN ON WARPATH : BLOCK HIGHWAY OVER OROP


Tribune News Service - Bathinda, July 8


Traffic on the Bathinda-Chandigarh highway was hit as ex-servicemen today blocked the highway outside the cantonment area here demanding the implementation of the ‘one rank, one pension’ (OROP) policy. The highway remained closed for more than two hours.
As the number of stranded vehicles increased, the district administration diverted these from Bucho towards Nathana and other villages.Around 2,000 ex-servicemen from across the state participated in the protest.On seeing the large number of protesters, Army officials closed all gates leading to the cantonment.
Carrying placards and wearing black badges, ex-servicemen raised slogans against the Modi government and its Finance and Defence Ministers for not implementing the scheme. At 10 am, a large number of ex-servicemen gathered outside the cantonment police station.Some protesters held a march from the Sub-Area gate to the Corps HQ gate. As the gate was closed, these protesters had to sit in Chetak Park.
The large number of ex-servicemen who remained at the Sub-Area gate blocked the Bathinda-Chandigarh highway stating that a senior Army official should come and take their memorandum.
Seeing the situation had become tense, SP City Desraj and Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Damanjit Singh Mann reached the spot and requested the protesters to clear the highway, but the ex-servicemen stayed put for more than two hours.Then, the SDM talked with Army officials and took a few protesters, who were sitting at Chetak Park, to Army officials. Only when the protesters handed over the memorandum to them was the protest called off.
Brigadier Indermohan Singh (retd), president, Indian Ex-Services League, Punjab, said, “OROP has been a long-standing demand of ex-servicemen and relates to payment of uniform pension to defence forces personnel retiring in the same rank with the same length of service, irrespective of their date of retirement.” He apologised to the commuters who had to face harassment today due to road blockage.
He warned that veterans would not rest until the government implemented OROP and that the protest would be intensified in the coming days.

Commuters irked as EX-SM block highway
Sukhmeet Bhasin - Tribune News Service -Bathinda, July 8
Traffic jam at the Bathinda-Chandigarh Road

Police personnel disperse the protesting ex-servicemen to make way for vehicles stuck in the traffic jam caused after the protesters sat on the Bathinda-Chandigarh highway
Commuters argue with the protesters in Bathinda on Wednesday. Tribune photos: Pawan sharma
Commuters argue with the agitating ex-servicemen who had blocked traffic in the Cantonment area on Wednesday. Tribune photos: pawan sharma
Vehicle movement was brought to a standstill on the Bathinda-Chandigarh national highway for about over two hours this morning when ex-servicemen resorted to a blockade outside the cantonment area over the delay in the implementation of One Rank, One Pension (OROP).
The ex-servicemen gathered on the road at 10am, blocking traffic on both sides of the road. The protest was lifted only at 1 am after they submitted a memorandum to Army officials. Commuters had to face hardships due to the protest.
Long queues of vehicles was witnessed on both sides of the highway. Unable to move ahead or backwards, trucks, cars, buses, two-wheelers and other vehicles found themselves stuck on the road. Commuters carrying their luggage on foot blamed the district administration and the police for not making alternate arrangements.
Poilce and district administration officials present at the spot expressed their helplessness in removing controlling the agitators. Some of the commuters entered into heated arguments with the agitators for harassing them by blocking the road. Gurjot Kaur, a resident of Bucho, said today that she had to join the office in the city as it was her first day in the office, but she was struck in the traffic jam due to the protest.
She said the district administration had announced that all protests must be held at the Transport Nagar located on the outskirts of the city, but both district and the police administration failed miserably in restricting the protesters from holding demonstrations in the city and causing inconvenience to the public.
Harish Garg said he walked two kilometers with my son to reach the Bibiwala road. There are many passengers who were still sitting in buses. He said the administration should divert the traffic fast so that they did not struck in the jam.
Sandeep Singh, a resident of Barnala, said he had some work in court and had to reach there at 11am, but due to the jam he was not able to reach the court on time.
He claimed that protesters should think of the public before blocking the roads and harassing them. Their demands were genuine but what would happen by blocking the road. Cantonment police station, SHO, Harpreet Singh, said they had diverted the traffic from Bucho and through Gobidnpura village, but police were not aware that they would block the road as they had plan to take out a protest march and submit a memorandum.

Veterans lay siege to highway in Bathinda; over 150 booked

PROTESTERS SIT ON DHARNA, BLOCKING THE BATHINDA-CHANDIGARH ROAD FOR OVER THREE HOURS, RESULTING IN TRAFFIC CHAOS

BATHINDA: Pressing for immediate implementation of ‘one rank one pension’ (OROP) scheme, hundreds of ex-servicemen on Wednesday blocked the busy Bathinda- Chandigarh highway.
SANJEEV KUMAR/HT


police official arguing with an ex-serviceman during a protest in Bathinda on Wednesday. The police have booked over 150 protesters. Ex-servicemen from across the state, under the banner of Indian Ex-Services League (IESL), had gathered in the city to submit a memorandum to authorities at Bathinda cantonment in support of their demands. However, a group of angry veterans decided to lay siege to the highway and sat on dharna in front of the Cantt police station blocking both lanes, resulting in traffic chaos.
The blockade began around 10 am and continued till 1 pm with protesters shouting slogan against the central government. The road in front of the Chetak park was also blocked, as a result the traffic had to be diverted from Bhucho, on the outskirts of the city. Six protesters, including Bhinder Singh, Ramji Das and Sukhdev Singh, all from Sangrur, Baldev Singh from Tarn Taran and Kartar Singh, Baldev Raj Joshi, both from Bathinda, were booked under Indian Penal Code sections 283 (danger or obstruction in public way or line of navigation) and 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant Cases were also registered against nearly 150 unidentified protesters.

As the police were not expecting such a protest by the veterans, it hadn’t deployed much force in the area. The local administration had a tough time persuading the protesters to remove the blockade. Sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) Damanjit Singh Mann said the ex-servicemen had initially planned to submit a memorandum. However, a section of protesters later sat on a dharna, disrupting traffic.

A delegation of ex-servicemen, led by Brigadier Inder Mohan Singh (retired), submitted a memorandum to a representative of the core commander at Bathinda cantonment. He said veterans have decided to stage protests outside military stations over OROP. Similar protests would be held at other cantonments in the state, he said.Mohan Singh said the association has urged former Punjab chief minister and Congress deputy leader in the Lok Sabha, Captain Amarinder Singh to be a part of protests in the coming days. “Earlier, we had planned to stage a protest at Amritsar with Amarinder Singh on July 22. But we were told that he might not be available on that day. So, we have yet to finalise a date,” he said.

SCUFFLE BETWEEN EX-SERVICEMEN, LOCALS

High drama was witnessed outside the Bathinda Cantt police station as scuffle broke out between ex-servicemen and residents. Later, some protesters also raised slogans against the Punjab and Chandigarh IESL president, blaming him for mismanagement.

EX-SERVICEMEN ON WARPATH

Ex-servicemen taking out a protest march in Bathinda on Wednesday.

(SOURCE- SANJHA MORCHA)

Saturday, July 4, 2015

HUNGER STRIKE JAWANS VS HUNGER STRIKE NETAS

MERA BHARAT MAHAAAAAN....

THIS CAN HAPPEN ONLY IN INDIA.



(SOURCE- ROHIT AGARWAL TWITTER)

=====================================================================,

THE ORDER OF 24.4.2014, ISSUED BY MOD (DoESM) IS POSTED HERE AGAIN, FOR THE BENEFIT OF THOSE CONFUSED ON THE DEFINITION  OF OROP (PECHIDA).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mr. Chanan Ram, the Dy Secy (Pensions), in MoD, (DoESW) (D Pen Pol) issued orders on 24.4.14,
to CGDA to finalise the DGL within 3 weeks (by 15.5.14), with financial implications thereof, and submit the same to the DoESW, MoD,

It states that it was decided to constitute a Working group to finalise the modalities of implementation of OROP, based on the PRINCIPLE specified in the meeting chaired by RM on 26.2.14.

The OROP PRINCIPLE implies that uniform pension be paid to the Armed Forces Personnel retiring in the SAME RANK with the SAME LENGTH OF SERVICE irrespective of their DATE OF RETIREMENT and any FUTURE ENHANCEMENT in the rate of PENSION to be automatically PASSED ON to the PAST PENSIONERS.

The Composition of the working group does not have the very stake holder i.e. ESM reps.

The terms of reference included :

i) To examine/deliberate on the Services HQ presented proposal on OROP implementation in previous meeting on all aspects and enable the CGDA to prepare a DGL.

ii) To work out details of financial implications.


The FA (DS) would thereafter seek additional funds as per requirement, since substantial increase is anticipated on OROP expenditure.  

And lastly, the order was issued after approval of competent authority.

KOI SHAKH....ANY DOUBTS..........






































                                          SIR, I HAVE THE FOLLOWING DOUBTS.

1.  THE RM LOST THE ELECTION AND A LOST MP BECAME RM (PART TIME).

2.   THE CGDA TRANSFERRED.

3.   THE DEFENCE SECRETARY HAS BEEN CHANGED.

4.    THE VCOAS, VCAS, VCNS WERE CHANGED.

5.     FA (DS) CHANGED.

6.     THE JS (E) D/O DEFENCE.....I DO NOT KNOW.

7.     THE GOVT AT CENTRE IS CHANGED.

8.      GOVT AT DELHI CHANGED.

9.      FM CHANGED.

10.    THE STANDS OF POL PARTIES ON OROP IS NOW CHANGED.

AND NOW THE THINKING OF ESM/SM CHANGED.

BUT NOW I AM CLEAR IN MY MIND THAT ----COME WHAT MAY,                                   THE ONE RANK ONE PENSION SHALL AND WILL HAVE TO BE IMPLEMENTED, WHETHER SOMEONE LIKES IT OR NOT..

(views are personal and as understood by the blog editor.)