Once again, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made sure the government fulfilled its promise of showing great regard to India's defense forces, while paying tribute to the 'One Rank, One Pension' system as a tribute to the courage and sacrifices of veterans as well as ex-service members - a scheme that would be celebrating ten years on Thursday.
Taking to X, PM Modi posted, "On this day, 'One Rank, One Pension' (OROP) was implemented. This was a tribute to the courage and sacrifices of our veterans and ex-service personnel who dedicate their lives to protect our nation. The decision to implement OROP was a significant step toward addressing this long-standing demand and reaffirming our nation's gratitude to our heroes.
"It would make you all happy that over the decade, lakhs of pensioners and pensioner families have benefited from this landmark initiative. OROP, beyond the numbers, represents the commitment of the government towards the welfare of our armed forces," he added.
He further stated that the government would do every possible thing to strengthen the armed forces further for the welfare of those who serve the nation.
Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also saw OROP as a core element of the PM Modi policy in relation to the armed forces.
"The 'One Rank, One Pension' (OROP) has been an important pillar of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's policy towards the Armed Forces. The Government under his leadership is committed to take care of the soldiers and their families," Singh stated.
Sharing a video of the Indian armed forces, he said, "More than 25 lakh veterans have been benefitted from the implementation of OROP. My gratitude to the Prime Minister for fulfilling the commitment given to the ex-servicemen of this country."
OROP is one much-awaited scheme, implemented in 2014, where pension payments for retired military personnel are ensured uniformly based on rank and length of service sans any worry over date of retirement.
This reform aimed to eliminate the disparities created in pension; personnel of the same rank and tenure but different dates of retirement received disparate pensions.
Earlier, a Lieutenant General who retires in 1995 may receive lesser pension as compared to that of a colonel who retires after the year 2006 although their service tenure is the same.
The OROP encompasses all Defence pensioners who retired, were discharged, or invalidated out of service on or after July 1, inclusive Commissioned Officers, honorary commissioned officers, JCOs/ORs and non-combatants.
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