Dear Editor,
This refers to your editorial “Politics on OROP” (ST- November 4). It is sad that a retired Army Ram Kishan Grewal committed suicide demanding one rank, one pension (OROP) that has plunged the capital. It is known to everyone that the Pay & pension of Defence personnel, especially the lower ranks are very pitiable if someone thinks rationally the noble service & hardship they undergo. The disability pension given to soldiers was cut down and their ranks were also been downgraded recently. OROP has been projected as alms, military operations are undermined and politicized and condescending utterances of top netas are certainly putting off the military and the public alike. UPA Govt made provision of Rs 500 crores for implementing OROP in budget when actual requirement of around Rs 15000 crores to implement it. It was only Modi Govt that took initiative to implement OROP. Though the Government issued orders, the reasons for inordinate delay without any specific date for payment could have been the cause of depression. Our brother soldier behaved in an unsoldierly manner by his act. Still, we have to see the pain he must have suffered to take such a drastic decision. The cause of suicide needs to be investigated and any lags or loopholes in the OROP implementation need to be plugged.
Vinod C. Dixit
Jyoti-Kalash
