Col J P Singh, Retd
Hearing a bomb-shell from the Finance Minister in his budget speech of 17 February 2014 was amazing. Granting ‘One Rank One Pension’ (OROP) to the Armed Forces was least expected benevolence. This issue had lingered on for three decades. Despite Rahul Gandhi’s assurances to ex-servicemen on 14 February and Narendra Modi’s declaration in Rewari ex-servicemen rally, no such announcement was expected. Even Dr. Manmohan Singh had promised and included it in Congress manifesto of 2009 election but nothing happened. Last year Govt estimated an expenditure of Rs 2,300 Crores yearly for OROP and regretted its viability. But it did give a marginal hike as announced by FM in budget speech. Thereafter Veterans were reconciled to the fact that Congress will never grant OROP and hence they were gravitating towards BJP en-mass. The scepticism was so great that within minutes of the announcement, author got calls from several veterans and friends discuss the meaning of announcement. Hence making a humble attempt to put across my understanding of the subject.
OROP essentially means that soldiers of the same rank and the same length of service receive the same pension irrespective of their retirement date. OROP was a legitimate demand of the armed forces but denied arbitrarily by successive Govts. Simply stated, it means compensation for retirement at much younger age. If someone is wondering why so special a consideration for the soldiers, I request him to ponder how unnatural it is for a soldier to be ordered to advance against the showers of bullets and die an untimely and unnatural death for the sake of his country and countrymen. A soldier is always a soldier whether alive or dead, is recognised world over. Hence the sanctity of his rank and status must be held if the nation is grateful to his sacrifices and this indeed is a honourable gesture. How do Legislators get the same pension irrespective of their time and term of being a legislator. And how unnatural it is for them to deny justice and equity to the soldiers. Cabinet Secretaries, Secretaries, Military Chiefs and Army Commanders, to mention a few, get OROP irrespective of their retirement. That may unwind the riddle.
Existing Pension Scales. Comparing a soldier who retired in 2005 ie a year before implementation of 6th Central Pay Commision(CPC) and another a year later i.e. in 2006, let us look at the difference in the pension of a Hav. A Hav retired in 2001 got Rs 2,536 and another who retired in 2005 got Rs 3,529 as monthly pension whereas those retiring after 01January 2006 are getting 7,375. By interim on 24 September 2012, pre 6th CPC Hav also got Rs 7,000, hence the difference is minimum, if any. The Sepoys & Havs who retired in seventies were given minimum of Rs 3500 till 12 September 2012 and brought at par thereafter. While Subs who retired before 6th CPC got Rs 6,990 and those who retire now get Rs 11,970 while Sub Majors got Rs 7,050 earlier and now they get Rs 12,670 almost at par with those retiring now. Similarly pension of pre 6th CPC Cols was Rs 9,900 which was increased to Rs 26,050 after 6th CPC (and raised by another Rs 1745 wef 24 September 2012) and Cols retiring now are getting close to Rs38,000 monthly. The difference in some ranks is lot. Thus the Finance Minister said, “during the tenure of the UPA Govt changes in the pension rules applicable to the defence services were notified on three occasions in 2006, 2010 and 2013. As a result, the gap between pre-2006 retirees and post-2006 retirees has been closed in four ranks (subject to some anomalies that are being addressed): Havildar, Naib Subedar, Subedar and Subedar Major. It is more in case of Sepoys, Naiks and Majors and above. Govt has therefore decided to walk the last mile and close the gap for all retirees in all ranks. I am happy to announce that Govt has accepted the principle of ‘One Rank One Pension’ for the defence forces. This decision will be implemented prospectively from the financial year 2014-15”.
With the grant of OROP, irrespective of the date of retirement Havs should get minimum Rs 7,605 and Cols should get nearly Rs 38,000 monthly if superannuates at 54. This parity is the rationale behind this announcement. A point to be noted is that while the JCOs and OR serve for specific number of years; the officers serve upto specific age. Hence same length of service is not applicable to the officers. The test of OROP is whether a Colonel who retired in February 1997 at 54 will get the same amount of pension as a colonel retiring in Feb 2014.
Since the date of retirement and length of service determined pension, with each pay commission, soldiers who retire early received lesser pension compared to those who retired later in same rank with same service. A soldier faces 2 to3 pay commissions whereas his counterparts face 4 to 5. Soldiers suffer the disparity bred by it every 10 years. In summation, Jawans lose 50 % of their emoluments because they retire nearly 25 years before their civilian counterparts, JCO’s lose 12 to 16 years emoluments and the bulk of officers lose between six to four years. There was no compensation for the differential of an average of 25 years, even though the cumulative effect works out to about Rs 45 lac upto the age of 60 and nearly 60 lac upto the current longevity index of 75. Officers retirement age is related to their ranks. Earlier Majors retired at 48, Lt Cols at 50 and Cols at 52. Now a days Lt Col is the minimum rank and 54 years is the age at which Lt Cols & Cols retire. Brigs retires at 56, Maj Gen at 58 and Lt Gen at 60. Hence the same length of service can not be applied to the officers. Above them are only three chiefs. They retire at the age of 62. It was therefore a demand for rank sanctity, equity and justice not for money per se. A Hav is a respected Hav even if he retired in 1972 because he had served for 21 years and done his duties as best as recently retired Hav. Unfortunately the govt never considered this aspect seriously or never understood the logic. Govt perhaps was under the erroneous impression that the pensioners can be ignored with impunity. Hence Modi magic seems to have worked.
The apathy of 6th CPC would always be remembered. It was only the hard stand taken by the Services Chiefs that some improvements were affected, but only for those in active service. Ex-servicemen, war disabled, war widows and family pensioners were left out. This resulted in a spate of agitations, court cases and return of gallantry awards, medals and artificial limbs. Seeing discrimination with their fathers or uncles, serving soldiers were getting affected. The unhappy prospect of soldiers was turning serious. Later some relief was given by the courts but the Govt continued to ignore even the directive of Supreme Court.
The watershed in the saga of emoluments and pension of the military personnel is that despite Prime Minister himself declaring that henceforth military will have its own Pay Commission, the Govt has backed out. Even the plea that a military member be incorporated in the 7th CPC has been summarily dismissed. What a dismal way of treating soldiers who die to make the country safe from the enemies which are not less for India. Hope Rahul’s commitment and Rank Sanctity of soldiers is honoured even if Prime Minister’s commitment is ignored.
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