High-level committees to look at ex-servicemen’s ‘One Rank, One Pension’ demand

NEW DELHI - Heeding the long held demand of retired defence personnel, the Government has constituted two high-level committees to look into the various issues concerning ‘One Rank, One Pension’ of ex-servicemen.

In the absence of ‘One Rank-One Pension’, anomalies in the pension of two persons of same rank arise and also there are instances of hundreds of war veterans drawing lower amount of pension as compared to personnel who retired in the recent past.

The Government has constituted a high level committee headed by the Cabinet Secretary to reduce the gap in the pensionary benefits to soldiers and officers and bring it as close to ‘One Rank, One Pension’.

“The other members of the committee are Defence Secretary, Home Secretary, Secretary (Personnel), Secretary (Expenditure), and Secretary (Ex-Servicemen Welfare),” said a senior Defence ministry source.

Financially the decision will additionally cost the government around 500-600 crore per annum and would be much less than the estimated financial liability for grant of OROP, the source said.

The other committee set up by the Ministry of Defence will be headed by Secretary (Defence Finance), Indu Liberhan, to sort out anomalies in the implementation of orders relating to armed forces pensioners.

The Sixth Pay Commission report had recommended 50 per cent weightage for armed forces PBORs during retirement, whereas earlier they would receive 70 per cent weightage until rehabilitated in other paramilitary forces. By Praful Kumar Singh (ANI)