STATE TIMES NEWS
LEH: The Ex-Servicemen League, Ladakh region held a peaceful rally to demand the implementation of One Rank, One Pension (OROP) Scheme on Thursday.
The rally comprising hundreds of ex-servicemen along with family members of army widows started from martyr memorial near petrol pump and after passing through various places culminated at Leh Polo Ground.
The participants were holding banners, placards and pamphlets.
Expressing anguish over Central Government’s failure to implement OROP, President Ex-servicemen League retired honorary Captain Tashi Tsepel said that the previous UPA government had an interim budget of Rs 500 crore for this scheme but the new BJP government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi had not done the needful. He said that Modi has promised to fulfill this demand during his recent visit to the world’s highest battlefield Siachen Glacier to celebrate Deepawali with the soldiers. Tsepel further added that Ex-serviceman had spent their entire life in serving the nation. He informed that there are nearly 22 lakh ex-servicemen and 6 lakh war widows in the country and Ladakh alone has four thousand Ex-servicemen.
Tsepel informed that such rallies are also being organised at various block headquarters across Leh district. He warned to start ‘fast unto death’ if the government will not implement OROP soon.
Later, a memorandum in this regard was submitted in Deputy Commissioner’s office which was addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.