As uncertainty looms over the issue of payments under the One Rank One pension - OROP - scheme, another issue has been disturbing army veterans for the past few weeks.
The issue is regarding India's new disability rules for retired armed forces personnel.
The government insists these changes are necessary adjustments, but ex-servicemen and their supporters vehemently disagree.
Introduced by the Union Ministry of Defence (MoD) on September 21, 2023, the new rules titled ‘Entitlement Rules for Casualty Pension and Disability Compensation Awards to Armed Forces Personnel, 2023’ redefine pension and also the eligibility criteria for disability pension. It also replaces all previous entitlements.
The development comes after the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) asked the ministry early this year to carry out an analysis of the disability among soldiers based on its report, which said that almost 40% of officers and 18% of personnel below officer rank (PBOR) who retire every year were drawing disability pensions.
The ex-servicemen association says that matters which have attained finality at the level of the Union Cabinet and through judgments of courts cannot be superseded at the behest of officers of the Finance Department of the MoD with the stroke of a pen.
In light of the claims made by the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) defending these rules, the All India Ex-Servicemen Welfare Association has released a detailed fact check. Watch this video to know more.
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Ex-Army Personnel Say New Disability Rules Are 'Draconian': Truth Vs Hype For Country: United States. City: Albany, New York, Oklahoma City, Omaha, Tacoma
