NEW DELHI: Lack of transparency and bureaucratic apathy in the calculation of One Rank One Pension (OROP) has embittered the retired junior commissioned officers and personnel of other ranks. Subedar Major Sukhdev Singh (Retd) says: “Out of Rs 23,000-crore OROP fund, officers consume over 85 per cent and the remaining by the other ranks – Sepoy and Havildars. We, junior commissioned officers, get nothing.”
Sukhdev is one among the soldiers from across the country protesting the anomalies in the pension scheme. They blame the officers for consuming most of the funds. But the Services – Army, Navy and Airforce – have no stake in deciding the pension things, according to sources.
The Controller General of Defence Accounts (CGDA), Principal Controller of Defence Accounts (PCDA Pension) and the Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare (DESW) in the defence ministry decide and calculate the pension amount for soldiers. On the issue of pension fixation, there is a tug of war for data, which is several years old, between departments in the defence ministry as well as the Defence Services.
“The data have been sought from the ministry since 2015-16, but still not provided to them. The Services headquarters wanted to know the methodology adopted in the calculation of OROP,” a source in the defence establishment said.
Arrears of approximately Rs 23,638 crore, effective from July 1, 2019, to June 30, 2022, was calculated. It is expected to benefit more than 25.13 lahks, including over 4.52 lakh new beneficiaries, including family pensioners.
The government implemented OROP in 2015 and tables for the fixation of pensions were issued in 2016 with a decision to review it every five years. In December 2022, the government approved the revision on the basis of the average minimum and maximum pension of defence forces retirees of the calendar year 2018 in the same rank with the same length of service.
Opacity in arriving at the average OROP pension after the second revision is another issue that was highlighted by a source. There is an anomaly at multiple levels, including clubbing of retired personnel with services varying between 15 and 18 years and giving the same pension. Data here is referred to the number of Havildars, Naib Subedars, Sepoys and others who retired in the same rank and length of service and what is the maximum and minimum amount taken in its calculation.
“While the pension authorities have clubbed the pensions for people serving between 15 and 18 years, there exists problems for the soldiers granted Honorary Ranks,” said another source. “The OROP-2 can be seen as a perfect example of bureaucratic apathy and lethargy,” said the second source as “ the Services having no role in deciding the pension amount yet they are facing the brunt of the aggrieved pensioners”.
Since 2015, the Indian Army and its sister organisation -- Indian Air Force and Indian Navy, have been continuously flagging off the issues to the ministry of defence for clarity on it. “No response has been provided yet.”
On being asked about its resolution, the sources added that the Services Headquarters thinks that transparency is the way ahead in removing the anomalies. “We also want to know the basis of formulation of the table that decides the pension.” It is pertinent to mention that rank and length of services are being considered for deciding the pension amount.
SORE POINTS
Lion’s share for officers
Of Rs 23,000-crore OROP fund, officers consume over 85% and remaining by the other ranks – Sepoy and Havildars. Junior commissioned officers get nothing, said a subedar
Elusive Data
On the pension fixation front, there is a tug of war for data which is several years old. The data have been sought from the ministry since 2015-16, but still not provided. The Services headquarters wanted to know the methodology adopted for the calculation of OROP.
Rs 23,638 crore
is the arrears calculated, with effective from July 1, 2019 to June 30, 2022 was calculated. It is expected to benefit more than 25.13 lakh, including over 4.52 lakh new beneficiaries and armed forces pensioners/family pensioners.
Honorary Ranks
Authorities have clubbed the pensions for people serving between 15 and 18 years, but there exists problems for soldiers granted Honorary Ranks
Obscurity in calculation
Opacity in arriving at the average OROP after the second revision. There is anomaly at multiple levels, including clubbing of retired personnel with a service of between 15 and 18 years and giving the same pension.