Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said that the NDA government will successfully implement the one rank one pension (OROP) scheme and put an end to previous governments’ inaction on the policy for the past 40 years.
“To our brave army personnel and ex-servicemen… For 40 years the question of one rank one pension has been persisting. Not much has happened so far. I assure you that this government and I repeat, this government, will give the solution to one rank one pension,” Modi said in his Mann Ki Baat radio program.
Modi, however, sought time to resolve the complexities involved in the implementation of the policy.
The OROP scheme is aimed at ensuring that all retired soldiers, who have the same rank and the length of service receive the same amount of pension, irrespective of their date of retirement. Under the existing policy, soldiers who retired before 2006 receive less pension than those who retired later.
Modi said OROP was “a complex issue, a vexed issue. You have been patient for 40 years. Give me some time to address it.” He said various departments were working to resolve the complexities as “it is not a simple matter” and added that “running commentary” through the media on the details of the progress will not help.
The Prime Minister said the entire country has debated on the positives and negatives of the completion of one year of the BJP-led NDA rule.
“It is important to known what have been the drawbacks,” he said, adding that many sections have also praised his government’s achievements in the past 12 months.
The Prime Minister also spoke of the recent launch of three social major security schemes for the poor, saying that over 8.5 crore people have joined the schemes within 20 days of their launch. The schemes are Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana, Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana and Atal Pension Yojana.
On the recently-launched DD Kisan channel, Modi said it gave him a “lot of joy”.
Modi said: “Kisan TV channel is a channel where both the teacher and the student are farmers.”
He further spoke on the searing heat wave that has killed more than 2,000 people till now.
“I urge you all to take care of yourselves in this heat. At the same take care of the birds & animals around you as well,” Modi said.
He congratulated students who passed the Central Board of Second Education (CBSE) examinations and said success and failure were a part of life.
“Success and failure are a part of life. We can learn a lot from failure also,” he added.
