Government today made it clear that the official notification for One Rank One Pension (OROP) scheme for ex-servicemen will be issued before Diwali. Replying to a media query on the sidelines of Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav in New Delhi, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said it will happen before Diwali. The announcement comes on a day when protesting ex- servicemen decided to step up their protests and return their medals across the country. <br/><br/>Talking to AIR, leader of the protesting ex-servicemen, Major Gen Satbir Singh (Retired)had said that they will return their medals to protest delay in government notification of OROP. The veterans will return their medals on Monday and Tuesday to the district collectors across the country requesting them to send the same to the Prime Minister, he said,adding that they will also observe black Diwali this year at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. Major Gen Singh alleged that despite several letters to the government to address the shortcomings in the OROP scheme, the centre did not send any communication to the veterans. <br/><br/>The OROP for the veterans was announced on 5th of September this year but an official notification is awaited. The government had cited the Model Code of Conduct for the Bihar polls as the reason behind the delay. Even after government had announced OROP scheme, a section of the veterans had continued their protest citing some lacunae in it.

Government today made it clear that the official notification for One Rank One Pension (OROP) scheme for ex-servicemen will be issued before Diwali. Replying to a media query on the sidelines of Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav in New Delhi, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said it will happen before Diwali. The announcement comes on a day when protesting ex- servicemen decided to step up their protests and return their medals across the country. <br/><br/>Talking to AIR, leader of the protesting ex-servicemen, Major Gen Satbir Singh (Retired)had said that they will return their medals to protest delay in government notification of OROP. The veterans will return their medals on Monday and Tuesday to the district collectors across the country requesting them to send the same to the Prime Minister, he said,adding that they will also observe black Diwali this year at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. Major Gen Singh alleged that despite several letters to the government to address the shortcomings in the OROP scheme, the centre did not send any communication to the veterans. <br/><br/>The OROP for the veterans was announced on 5th of September this year but an official notification is awaited. The government had cited the Model Code of Conduct for the Bihar polls as the reason behind the delay. Even after government had announced OROP scheme, a section of the veterans had continued their protest citing some lacunae in it.