Chief Minister welcomes approval of OROP by GoI

5 Dariya News

Shimla 17-Feb-2014

Chief Minister, Virbhadra Singh welcomed the decision of the Government of India (GoI) for approving the  One-Rank One-Pension (OROP) to the ex-servicemen of the country in the Interim Budget presented by  P. Chidambram, the Union Finance Minister today. Chief Minister while addressing a massive Public meeting at Dulehar in Una yesterday had assured the ex-servicemen and serving Jawans that he would forcefully take up the matter with the UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Rahul Gandhi for considering the long pending demands of the serving and retired soldiers who should be brought under the sphere of OROP. The Chief Minister said that Himachal Pradesh has a distinguished history of its brave soldiers who had sacrificed their lives for the sake of the Nation. He said that the soldiers from Himachal Pradesh  were decorated with highest Military honours and had received various medals for their valor. May it be the war fought for Independence of the country or the Kargil war, the valiant soldiers from Himachal Pradesh had always been in front and had earned laurels for the State by proving their gallantry and receiving highest military decorations. 

He said that the approval by the Union Government for OROP for its Jawans was a real tribute to the serving and retired soldiers. He said that Rs 500 crore will be transferred in 2014-15 for implementing the 'one rank one pension,' by Government of India for the defence forces. Chief Minister said that Himachal has sizeable population of serving Soldiers and ex-servicemen and they have finally received their due. He said that it was due to the efforts of the UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi that the long pending demand of our military personnel has been fulfilled.

The Chief Minister said that the decision has come at a right point when the ex-servicemen and serving soldiers were pressing for their demand to be fulfilled on priority. There are 14 lakh serving and 24 lakh retired military personnel in the country. Under the "one rank, one pension" rule, retired soldiers of the same rank and length of service will receive the same pension, regardless of when they retire, said the Chief Minister. Thanking Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for addressing the subject comprehensively, Chief Minister hoped that "our forces and Jawans will be happy with the announcement." He also thanked Rahul Gandhi, Vice President of the Congress for pursuing the matter with Government of India time and again. It was a welcome step which has come three days after the mega announcement of Rahul Gandhi after meeting a delegation of ex-servicemen from Himachal Pradesh and other such States which have sizeable population of the serving soldiers and ex-servicemen,  last Friday. Virbhadra Singh also thanked the Government of India for considering the demand of Himachal Pradesh for Additional Central Assistance. He said that announcement of releasing a sum of Rs. 1,200 crore as Additional Central Assistance to Himachal Pradesh, Uttrakhand and Northeastern States was a welcome decision.He said that the GoI realises the need of hill states which are alike in topography. The additional fund so released would speed up the development works in the State as the financial aid announced would be made available to the State soon.