8
SunDAY 06•09•2015
INDIA
THE MORUNG EXPRESS
Govt announces OROP implementation, veterans satisfied New delHI, September 5 (IaNS): Putting an end to months of speculation, the government on Saturday announced it will be implementing 'One Rank One Pension' (OROP) for the armed forces. The veterans initially said they were not satisfied with the scheme, but later, after a meeting with Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, accepted the government version. The defence minister, making the much awaited announcement at a press conference called at short notice, said: "Despite the huge fiscal burden, given its commitment to the welfare of ex-servicemen, the Government has taken a decision to implement the OROP." Parrikar said an order implementing the scheme was likely to come in a fortnight to a month. The minister squarely blamed the previous Congress-led government for miscalculations on OROP, and said it led to the delay in its implementation. He also quoted a reply by a former minister of state for defence in parliament in 2009, who had said "there are administrative, technical and financial difficulties in implementing OROP". "It is for these reasons that the present government took some time to fulfill its promise," he said. Parrikar also urged the veterans to give up the agitation and resume the role they have been playing in nation-building. "Prime Minister Modi has fulfilled his commitment... I would like to mention that the contribution of military veterans in nationbuilding in the past 67 years has been immeasurable. Now that OROP is hopefully behind us, I urge the vet-
Highlights of OROP • OROP will be implemented from July 1, 2014 and the base year would be 2013. • The estimated cost to implement OROP would be between Rs 8,000 crore to Rs 10,000. • Pension of ex-servicemen will be revised every five years. • Re-fixed pension will be the average of minimum and maximum pension in 2013. • OROP arrears to be paid in 4 half-yearly installments. • Those drawing pensions above the average will be protected. • A one-member judicial committee will be constituted. It will give reports on equalisation period in 6 months. • Personnel who retire voluntarily will not be covered under OROP scheme.
BJP, Cong spar over decision
Members of the Indian Ex Servicemen Movement take part in a sit-in protest in New Delhi on September 5. (Reuters)
erans to contribute to the vital task of nation-building and development," the minister said. While initially the veterans said the announcement made by the government did not satisfy them, later, after a meeting with Parrikar, the issues were sorted out. Maj. Gen. Satbir Singh (retd) told reporters after the meeting that they discussed the issue of OROP being denied to those who take premature retirement. "Premature retirement was the one point we wanted to discuss. The defence minister verbally confirmed there is no VRS in armed forces, there is just premature retirement," said the retired major general. "He will talk with the prime minister and let us know in a few days. Till that time, we will also talk with the core group and decide tomorrow (Sunday) whether to take the agitation forward," he said.
Govt will not allow people's faith to be broken: Rajnath puNe, September 5 (ptI): The faith of people, who brought the Narendra Modi government to power with absolute majority, will not be allowed to be broken, home minister Rajnath Singh said and made it clear that results of various steps taken will be reflected on the ground soon. "I know many people are saying that 15 months have gone but no change is seen on the ground. "I want to tell you all that the way the Prime Minister is working, the way our government is working, I can assure you that your confidence will not be broken. "Give us some time. After some time, people will see the results and the good work being done by this government," Singh said
addressing an interactive session with various professionals. The home minister alleged that the condition of the country was very bad during the 10 year rule of the UPA government. "Our intentions are good. We have taken many steps. You will see the results soon," he said. Singh said after independence, for the first time a non-Congress government came to power with clear majority and people's faith will not be allowed to be broken. He said India's standing in international sphere has gone up, the wholesale price index and consumer price index have gone down, inflation is under control and the RBI has cut the interest rate resulting in economic growth.
Asked if they were satisfied, Maj. Gen. Singh said: "After this statement, yes, we are satisfied." Earlier on Saturday, the veterans said they were not "fully satisfied" with what was being given, exclusion of those who take voluntary retirement being a major issue. Parrikar in his press conference said "personnel who voluntarily retire will not be covered under the OROP scheme", even as he later told reporters that those who retire with injuries will be "protected". The estimated cost to the exchequer for the scheme will be Rs.8,00010,000 crore, and the arrears will amount to around Rs.12,000 crore. The scheme announced by the government will take 2013 as the base year to calculate pensions. "Pensions will be refixed for all pensioners retiring in the same rank and with same length of service
as the average of minimum and maximum pension in 2013," Parrikar said. Those drawing pension above the average will be protected. Parrikar said the government came to power on May 26, 2014 and the budget came in June, so the date of implementation will be immediately after that, which was July 1, 2014. The period for review is five years, something that has been a major sticking point. The arrears are to be paid in four instalments, at a gap of every six months. To war widows, the arrears will be given in one instalment. Minister of State for Defence Rao Inderjit Singh said veterans above 60 years of age will also get arrears in one go. Announcing the scheme, Parrikar said the government was dedicated to the scheme which has been pending for "40 years".
"The issue of OROP has been pending for nearly four decades. It is a matter of deep anguish that various governments remained ambivalent on the issue of OROP," said Parrikar. In the government press conference, Parrikar blamed the previous Congress-led government, saying they promised implementation of OROP in 2014-15, but "did not specify what OROP would be, how it will be implemented or how much it will cost". "An estimated Rs.500 crore provided for OROP in the budget presented in February 2014 by the then government was not based on any calculation," he said. "The reality, however, is that to implement OROP the estimated cost to the exchequer would be Rs.8,000 to Rs.10,000 crore at present, and will increase further in future," he said.Currently the pension bill of the defence ministry stands at Rs. 54,000 crore.
In no time, the BJP refuted the Congress accusation. "It is the Congress's passion to criticise the government for everything, forgetting that they have not been able to fulfill this responsibility while in power," union minister M. Venkaiah Naidu said here. "Ten years in office is not an ordinary time, what have they done? They just make announcements," he added. The BJP termed the decision "historic" and credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the decision. BJP president Amit Shah thanked the Modi government for the OROP implementation, saying it will provide a financial security net to defence personnel. "We have not just fulfilled the promise but implemented it as well. The Modi government has provided the retired and serving servicemen a financial security net," Shah told reporters. The party said the Modi government had honoured the soldiers of the country. "We welcome the decision. It is a historic decision," BJP general secretary Anil Jain said here. "The Congress had deceived the exservicemen on OROP for decades. It was the Modi government which honoured them by implementing the scheme," he said. "Earlier governments had made the OROP scheme complicated." Soon after the announcement, members of the BJP's ex-serviceman cell took out a march from India Gate to Shah's residence and thanked him for the announcement. The government on Saturday decided to implement the OROP scheme for veterans. The pension would be re-fixed every five years and the scheme will be with effect from July 1, 2014.
Cong seeks PM's intervention Indian govt considers extending maternity leave to boost child nutrition to assist drought-hit farmers New delHI, September 5 (tHomSoN reuterS FouNdatIoN): India is considering extending maternity leave to 24 weeks from 12 weeks, a government official said on Friday, adding that it would encourage more women to breastfeed and help reduce high rates of child malnutrition in the country. "We feel the current three months is not enough time for women to adequately care for their newborns," said an official from the ministry of women and child development. "The proposal, if approved, would give working women in all sectors -public, private and even the informal sector such as domestic workers -some kind of protection." According to the ministry, an expectant mother needs one month of rest before birth, and seven months after, to adequately nurse her child, said the official, who declined to be
named. India has one of the highest child malnutrition rates in the world. Forty-six percent of children under five are underweight and 48 percent are stunted, according to the latest government figures from 2005/6. Child malnutrition is an underlying cause of death for 3 million children around the world every year - nearly half of all child deaths - with most dying from preventable illnesses due to weak immune systems, says the United Nations Children's Fund. Those who survive, grow up without enough energy, protein, vitamins and minerals, causing their brains and bodies to be stunted which means they cannot fulfill their physical, academic or economic potential. The World Health Organization (WHO) - which recommends exclusive breastfeeding for babies up to six months old - says breastfeeding re-
duces child mortality and has proven health benefits that extend into adulthood. Yet only 47 percent of Indian mothers exclusively breastfeed for the first six months, compared with 70 percent in neighbouring Nepal and 76 percent in Sri Lanka. Gender experts say extending maternity leave will also encourage more women to return to work and close the gender gap in the labour market. Many women reluctantly drop out of work because they need more time for their newborns, they say. At around 33 percent, female participation in the workforce in India is well below the global average of 50 percent, a March report by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said. During to a visit to India in March, IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde said the gender disparity in the labour sector was a "huge missed opportunity".
Muslim Board to campaign against imposition of ‘Brahminical’ culture
Hyderabad, September 5 (IaNS): The All India Muslim Personal Law Board, the apex body of Indian Muslims, has decided to launch a nationwide campaign against attempts by the government to impose Brahminical culture and vedic dharam. Voicing concern over the threats posed to the religious and cultural identity of minorities and other groups, the board announced the launch of the 'deen aur dastur bachao' (save religion and constitution) campaign. The board has also involved other minority groups and organisations from the depressed classes in the campaign. Stating that an "alarming" situation was prevailing in the country, AIMPB general secretary Moulana Sajjad Naomani told a news conference here on Saturday that the attempts to impose a Brahminical social order and rituals like yoga, surya namaskar and Vande Mataram were against the Indian Constitution. "This is not bothering just Muslims but also all other social and
New delHI, September 5 (IaNS): Political parties began their blame game on Saturday soon after the government announced implementation of the 'One Rank One Pension' (OROP) scheme for ex-servicemen, with the ruling BJP calling it a "historic decision" while the Congress termed it "totally disappointing". "The (Narendra) Modi government has substantially diluted the provisions of the OROP announced by the UPA (Congress-led United Progressive Alliance). Today's (Saturday) announcement about OROP by the defence minister is totally disappointing," Congress leader and former defence minister A.K. Antony told the media here. Antony's remarks came soon after Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar made the announcement in the presence of army chief General Dalbir Singh, navy chief Admiral R.K. Dhowan, air force chief Air Chief Marshal Aroop Raha and Defence Secretary G. Mohan Kumar. "Today's claims by the defence minister that the NDA (National Democratic Alliance) government is for the first time accepting the long standing demand... I don't know what language to use. We had already accepted in toto the demand for OROP and were in the process of implementing it," Antony said. "They (the government) have ridiculed the ex-servicemen as well as the whole country," the Congress leader said. Antony also accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of politicising the issue, saying the defence minister used the occasion of announcing OROP to criticise the previous UPA government. While announcing OROP, Parrikar said: "It is a matter of deep anguish that the various governments remained ambivalent on the issue of OROP, which was pending for nearly four decades."
religious units. As the largest minority, the board took up the responsibility to take all along and launch a movement to save our faith and constitution," he said. As part of the campaign public meetings, seminars and symposiums would be organised to bring about public awareness and to demand implementation of the constitution in letter and spirit. The board also plans to wage a legal battle by challenging the imposition of Brahminical rituals. It will also challenge in the Supreme Court the orders of the Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan high courts, which ruled that rituals like surya namaskar should be optional. "Even optional is against the constitution. Imposing culture of a particular community on all is not fair," he said. When asked if the board would also make a representation to the prime minister or home minister, he said this was not on their agenda for now. Naomani said it is shameful that Prime Minister Narendra
Modi says one thing and then does something else. "We have no objection to what he is saying. What all he is saying is good but there is so much difference in what he says and what he is doing. Our movement is against his actions not his statements," he said. The Muslim leader said minorities can't be deprived of their religious and social identity in the same of development. "On one side you talk of development and on the other you want to deprive minorities of religious and social identity and you take actions and make legislations for this," he said. He also took strong exception to the prime minister's meetings with the RSS leaders and said this was a government of India and not a government of Hindus and Brahmins. "Muslims can never compromise on their faith come what may. The community is disturbed with the developments," he said while pointing out that India is a secular democratic country and the con-
stitution guarantees religious freedom. Naomani said some forces were bent upon distracting the community from its fundamental faith and way of life. He cited examples of large scale changes in the education system and changes in the syllabus of schools and colleges. The board leaders claimed that efforts were being made to amend the laws, which may affect Muslim personal laws. "The communal forces are upbeat with the support of people at the helm of affairs. The growing communalism is not only a danger to the Muslim community but also to other religious, cultural and social groups. This communalism will hamper the growth and well being of the people," the board said. AIMPB secretary Moulana Vali Rehmani and other key figures including AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi, Abdul Raheem Qureshi and Moulana Khalid Saifullah Rehmani were also present.
mumbaI, September 5 (ptI): Congress today demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should intervene to provide relief to drought-hit farmers in Maharashtra. "PM should intervene since the state government does not seem to be taking enough efforts. There are hollow announcements and nothing concrete on the ground," Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee chief Ashok Chavan said. Chavan discussed the state's drought situation with senior party leaders at Gandhi Bhavan, the state party office, here. The former chief minister also said Modi has recently announced a financial package for Bihar. "Modi should intervene to help Maharashtra farmers
as well who are reeling under drought for last couple of years," he said. "Even a large city like Latur does not have drinking water. The chief minister only announces that water would be brought by railway. However, nothing is happening on that front," he added. The Maharashtra Congress chief also said the party is in the process of formulating an action plan to assist the drought hit people. "We don't want to politicize miseries of farmers. But, the party would constructively contribute for their welfare," he added. According to him, inputs of district units would be taken to ascertain the ground situation so that assistance in terms of water, cattle and fodder camps, food for farm labourers can be arranged.
Green belt plantation along Odisha coastline bHubaNeSwar, September 5 (IaNS): The Odisha government has decided to take up green belt plantation along the saline embankments to protect the environment and sea-erosion off the Odisha coast. The government would take up the green belt plantation along the saline embankments executed under the National Cyclone Risk Mitigation Project (NCRMP) in Ganjam, Puri, Jagatsinghpur and Kendrapada districts, said an official of the water resources department on Saturday. The official said that raising and strengthening saline embankments has been taken up by the Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA) with World Bank assistance. "The green belt plantation shall be developed on the sea facing embankments to protect and enhance the environment as well as to act as a first-line of defence for the embankments against sea waves and wind," said water resources additional secretary P.K. Das in a letter to the forest and environment secretary. Since Odisha is prone to cyclones, the government hopes that the green cover would help in mitigating such disasters. .
Goa hospital gets notice over patients sleeping in corridors paNajI, September 5 (IaNS): The Goa Human Rights Commission on Saturday issued notices to the health secretary and the dean of the state's top government run medical facility over the issue of patients sleeping in the hospital's corridors last month. The notices were issued some days after the issue was highlighted in the media and subsequently a petition was filed by three individuals, including a human rights' activist and an Aam Aadmi Party leader, with the commission. The petition demanded that instead of making patients sleep in the hospital's corridors, patients without a bed should be accommodated in VIP rooms at the hospital, which are often vacant. "Instead of making patients sleep on the floors in and around the neurology ward and/or any other ward, patients should be shifted to other wards where occupancy is available or should be housed in the private wards of GMC and/or in the GMC rooms meant for VIPs... "The criteria of allotting beds in GMC should be who urgently needs the treatment, and not who is an influential person. VIP should mean Very Important Patient and not Very Important Person or Very Important Politician," the petition filed by advocate Satish Sonak and AAP secretary Valmiki Naik had said. Both the state health secretary and the dean of the Goa Medical College, located near Panaji, have been asked to file their replies to the Commission's notice by September 24.