Sources said if the government gives them a date, the veterans could call off their protest, which escalated into a hunger-strike by several protestors after the Prime Minister failed to announce OROP in his Independence Day speech on August 15.
On Tuesday, the veterans had rejected the government’s offer of the revised pension being issued effective 2015 instead of 2014.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is now said to be directly looking into the issue and three remaining sticking points are expected to resolved soon, sources said.
The veterans’ protest includes a boycott of celebrations to mark 50 years of the Indian military’s successes in the 1965 war against Pakistan and if the strike is called off today, they will attend the first function planned by the government in Delhi tomorrow.
“Most of who I fought with are no longer alive… When the nation celebrates 50 years of the 1965 war tomorrow, I will be at Jantar Mantar with other veterans,” said Wing Commander KS Parihar, a 1965 war veteran and Surya Chakra awardee.
There are, however, indications that both sides – veterans and the Government – will come to a meeting point with an announcement on One Rank One Pension to coincide with tomorrow’s celebration.
The veterans have repeatedly reminded the ruling BJP that OROP was a key promise made by PM Modi in his election campaign for last year’s national election that it won.
OROP will give equal pension to servicemen retiring with the same rank regardless of when they retire. At present, a soldier who retired many years ago is paid far less than someone several ranks junior retiring now.
The scheme is expected to benefit three million ex-servicemen. The veterans, sources said, hope that the government will accept a basic additional annual payout of Rs 8,298 crore a year, which will take the cost of the pension package to 63,000 crore.
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