MAJ GEN SATBIR SINGH ON OROP AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF 7^th CPC

 ARMY VETERANS TO TAKE OROP BATTLE TO SUPREME COURT

What if the Soldiers too took a leaf out of the Govt’s book and said, “Our solemn oath, ‘to defend the integrity of Our Nation with our LIVES,’ was but a ‘Job Jumla’ and decided to renege on them?”, asks Gen Satbir

The Veterans’ agitation for the implementation of One Rank One Pension (OROP) according to its original definition is set to enter a new phase with the battle now being taken to the Supreme Court.

Senior Supreme Court advocate Ram Jethmalani has offered his free services as the legal counsel for the Army veterans. Addressing the media in Chandigarh on Sunday, Maj Gen Satbir Singh,  who has been leading a protest for OROP at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi for the past 161 days, said that the president of Bar Council of India, Dushyant Dave has also offered to represent the veterans’ cause, along with his team, in the apex court for free

Gen Satbir came out strongly against the recommendations of the 7th Central Pay Commission, (CPC), stating that the recommendations of the commission were further degrading the Defence Services. He appealed to the three Service Chiefs to come out strongly against the CPC’s recommendations.

Gen Satbir also said that the OROP announcement as well as the CPC’s recommendations, have had an adverse effect on the serving soldiers. “I dare say it has affected serving soldiers. They are asking questions. You are not going by your promises. If the defence services also go back on their oath, what will happen,” he asked the Centre.

Accusing the government of leading a disinformation campaign regarding their announcement of implementation of their version of OROP, Gen Satbir said that the veterans are not going to give up their agitation till OROP was implemented in its letter and spirit.

“The government talks to militants to broker peace and arrive at a resolution of problems. Unfortunately, the veterans and widows have been sitting at JM on Dharna, but the government has not bothered to come even once to talk to us and ask why are we sitting here,” said Gen Satbir.

Accusing the bureaucracy of sabotaging the OROP proposal, he said, “Ever since Independence, the bureaucrats have been suppressing the Defence Services. The benefits announced by the government on Sep 05, were in fact one rank many pensions and was not what had been approved by the houses of the Parliament or ordered to be implemented by the Highest Judiciary of the Land”..

Gen Satbir added, “It is surprising that the pay commission has depressed the top scales of the Military. A brigadier will now come below a DIG of the police. A joint secretary going to Guwahati will get Rs 54,000 extra as special allowance, but an Army officer serving on Siachen Glacier will get only Rs 31,000”..

Terming many recommendations of the 7th CPC as being examples of  vindictiveness of the IAS, he said even the funeral allowance of Rs 5,000 given to service personnel has been taken away. He also criticised the proposal to do away with free rations for officers in peace areas, changes in rules for disability allowance and the scrapping of furlough given to serving personnel.