Once ready, file will be sent to Finance Ministry | Veterans’ protest today01 Feb 2015 | 1:53 AMNEW DELHI: As retried veterans of the armed forces converge on the national capital to protest non-implementation of the “one rank-one pension” (OROP) scheme on Sunday, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar today said the modalities will be finalised by next week and the file will be sent to the Finance Ministry for further action.
[ + read story ] 
Manohar Parrikar, Defence Minister Tribune News Service
New Delhi, January 31
As retried veterans of the armed forces converge on the national capital to protest non-implementation of the “one rank-one pension” (OROP) scheme on Sunday, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar today said the modalities will be finalised by next week and the file will be sent to the Finance Ministry for further action.
Parrikar, while speaking to mediapersons on the sidelines of a defence function, said: “Discussions are on to fix the modalities (for the OROP)... By next week, the view of the Defence Ministry will be formed.”
The OROP issue has been fast-tracked, Parrikar said adding he had already held several meetings on it. The scheme was sanctioned by the previous government on February 17 last year. On February 26, the then Defence Minister AK Antony issued executive orders to implement OROP under the “approved” definition at the earliest.
Parrikar said as and when the exact implementation status for the scheme is finalised by the Defence Ministry, it will be sent to the Ministry of Finance. Parrikar had in December said if he could take the satisfaction level (of the retired armed forces personnel) to 80-90 per cent, it should be “a good enough solution”. This had not been taken kindly to by the veterans who wanted a clarification on what the 80 per cent satisfaction level meant.
The Indian Ex-servicemen Movement (IESM) wanted to know the formula being adopted for OROP saying it would not accept OROP other than the one already accepted by the government.
The definition accepted by the Ministry of Defence is the one the Rajya Sabha Petitions Committee chaired by Bhagat Singh Koshyari suggested in December 2011.
OROP, it said, “implies that uniform pension be paid to 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 rates of pension be automatically passed on to the past pensioners.”
01 Feb 2015 | 1:53 AMNEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today hit out at the Aam Aadmi Party, calling it a “backstabber” and urged Delhi voters not to repeat the “mistake” of voting for the Arvind Kejriwal-led party.
01 Feb 2015 | 1:53 AMNEW DELHI: With just seven days to go before Delhi Assembly polls, the Arvind Kejrwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) today released an extensive 40-page manifesto and a 70-point action plan, aimed at wooing all sections of society.
01 Feb 2015 | 1:53 AMNEW DELHI: In a significant first in the Indian nuclear missile history, the Agni V, an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) was today successfully test-fired from a truck-mounted canister which provided it easy mobility.
01 Feb 2015 | 1:53 AMJAMNAGAR(GUJ): A MiG-21 fighter aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) crashed near Bed village in Jamnagar district today while the pilot managed to eject safely, the police said.
01 Feb 2015 | 1:53 AMNEW DELHI: Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar today asserted that Dhruv helicopters were good and that Hindustan Aeronautics Limited had been asked to set up additional depots for spares after Ecuador put the Indian helicopters on “restricted” operations following a spate of accidents.
01 Feb 2015 | 1:53 AMNEW DELHI: Two days after she was abruptly relieved of her post, former Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh on Friday said her reputation had been tarnished by adverse stories coming out about her on social media and that “it was not necessary to get low and dirty”.
01 Feb 2015 | 1:53 AMCHANDIGARH: In an apparent attempt to cure ailing health facilities in hospitals across the region, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has taken suo motu cognisance of a study on fungal infections rampant in intensive care units (ICUs).
Saradha Scam01 Feb 2015 | 1:53 AMKOLKATA: Former Union Minister Matang Sinh was today arrested by the CBI in connection with the multi-crore rupees Saradha scam after he was grilled for over seven hours.