KOTTAYAM: Former Supreme Court judge Justice K T Thomas has called up on the ex-defence personnel to go ahead with protests to exert pressure upon the Union government for implementing the long pending ‘one-rank, one-pension’ scheme.
He was speaking after inaugurating the third phase of protests, being organised by the Kerala chapter of the National Ex-servicemen Coordination Committee (NExCC) against the delay in implementing OROP scheme here on Tuesday.
According to him, the implementation of the OROP scheme will not only boost the morale of the existing defence personnel as well attract the youth in to defence services.
“Now, the only hinderance is the availability of fund and the ex-service men should exert pressure up on the government to find adequate fund for the same, by intensifying the protests,” he said.
NExCC state president Adv A Viswanathan presided over the function. National vice chairman V S John, M A Pookkoya, state liaison officer M T Antony, Garvasis and others also spoke.
A protest march was organised ahead of the conference, which commenced from war memorial at the District Collectorate premises at 2 pm.
The meeting also decided to join with the protests being organised by various organisations of the ex-servicemen across the country in Delhi on August 15, as part of continuing their pressure on the government over the delay in implementing the long-pending OROP scheme.