New Delhi: With no end in sight to the deadlock between ex-servicemen and the Centre, three more veterans have joined the fast-unto-death at Jantar Mantar. With this, the total number of those on hunger strike for implementation of One Rank One Pension has gone up to 12.
Subedar Major and Honorary Lieutenant Ganga Singh Arya (70), Havaldar Ram Niwas Yadav(70) and Sipahi Vijaypal Singh (46) joined the hunger strike on Monday.
The ex-servicemen had also written a letter to President Pranab Mukherjee, seeking his intervention in the issue. They urged the President to "immediately implement OROP without any dilution whatsoever". The letter talked about the deteriorating health of war veterans due to the fast, and their determination to not relent unless OROP comes into effect.
The ongoing protest at the Jantar Mantar entered its 78th day on Monday with constant flow of family members and other supporters, a group of Harley Davidson bikers from Delhi also came to the spot on Sunday to show support to the veterans.
Close to 22 lakh retired servicemen and over six lakh war widows stand to be the immediate beneficiaries of the scheme, which envisages a uniform pension for the defence personnel who retire in the same rank with the same length of service, irrespective of their date of retirement.
Currently, the pension for retired personnel is based on the Pay Commission recommendations of the time when he or she has retired. So, a Major General who retired in 1996 draws less pension than a Lt Colonel who retired after 1996.
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