NEW DELHI: The long-pending demand of paramilitary forces for One Rank, One Pension (OROP), as given to retired personnel of the armed forces, is not likely to be fulfilled anytime soon. In a recent communication with a legislator over the issue, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju has said that armed forces and paramilitary forces cannot be treated equally in every aspect due to differences in the nature of their roles and services, The Sunday Standard has learnt.
The demand for OROP by personnel of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) gained momentum in September 2015 after the Centre announced OROP implementation for ex-servicemen. There are close to nine lakh serving personnel in forces like the CRPF, BSF, ITBP, SSB and CISF, which comprise the CAPF and there are about 3 lakh retired personnel.
The Centre’s OROP expenditure for ex-servicemen is roughly `8,300 crore, while OROP for paramilitary veterans would roughly cost the government `3,000 crore.
Paramilitary personnel have been claiming parity with the armed forces, citing similarities in the nature of their work. The armed forces-the Indian Army, the Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force-have always argued that their case rested on a different footing as compared to paramilitary personnel because they constituted the country’s main defence, and also because their jawans retired at an early age.
Earlier this year, Haryana MLA Kanwar Pal wrote a letter to the MHA seeking OROP for paramilitary forces’ personnel, status of martyrs and cessions for Central Police Canteens on the lines of the exemptions given to defence-run Canteen Stores Department (CSDs).
In response to the letter, Rijiju has cited the logic often given by armed forces that paramilitary forces cannot get same facilites as them due to differences in the nature of their work and in the retirement age.
Regarding GST concessions for CPCs, the minister has said the matterwas raised before the Finance Ministry. About the ‘martyr’ status, Rijiju has cited the stand of the Ministry of Defence which had said the status of ‘martyr’ is not accorded to armed forces personnel who sacrifice their lives on the line of duty and hence cannot be given to the paramilitary forces.
CAPF personnel have been seeking framing of separate service and pension rules, exemption from new contributory pension system for paramilitary, giving them ex-servicemen status with all consequential benefits, extending ex-servicemen contributory health scheme, changing nomenclature to central paramilitary forces and granting them statutory paramilitary welfare board.