The central government on Sunday issued a notification on the long-pending One Rank One Pension scheme, which will benefit over 25 lakh veterans and war widows. However, the protesting ex-servicemen rejected the notification, saying their main demands have not been met and it has become a "one-rank-five-pension." The notification is almost similar to the announcement made by defence minister Manohar Parrikar on September 5, reported the Press Trust of India.

According to the notification, the retirement allowance would be re-fixed on the basis of the average of minimum and maximum pension of personnel retiring in 2013 from the same rank and with the same length of service, and will be effective from July 1, 2014. The veterans had demanded that the period for the pension should be the financial year 2013-14 and not the calendar year. They also wanted April 1 to be the effective date instead of July 1. They had also demanded to take into account the maximum and not the average pension.

The notification went on to add that the pension would be re-fixed every five years in the future, as against the ex-servicemen’s demand of revision every two years, if not one. Another key element of the notification is that the armed forces personnel who opt to get discharged on their request would not get OROP benefits.

The government also decided to appoint a judicial committee to look into anomalies, if any, arising out of the implementation. The committee will submit its report in six months.