NEW DELHI, Aug 18 - Stepping in to pacify agitating ex-servicemen over the �One Rank One Pension� issue, the Prime Minister�s Office today held talks with representatives of the protesters who have agreed not to escalate their agitation for the next 10 days.
The meeting with Prime Minister�s Principal Secretary Nripendra Misra at the PMO came on a day when a third veteran joined the fast-unto-death at Jantar Mantar here, where the ex-servicemen have been protesting for 65 days demanding early implementation of OROP.
�We met Nripendra Misra in the morning. He stressed that normalcy should be restored. Asked what he meant by that, he said the fast-unto-death should be called off. We told him that if there is a concrete assurance, we will stop it,� Lt Gen Balbir Singh (retd),
president of Indian Ex-Servicemen Movement told PTI here.
He said that since a round of talks has already been held with Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, who had sought 10 days� time to discuss the issue with the Prime Minister, �there won�t be any escalation of protest for ten days�.
Maj Gen Satbir Singh (retd), who along with Lt Gen Balbir met Misra in the morning for an hour, said they have made it clear that definition of OROP will remain the same.
�We have also sought an assured date for implementation of OROP and the date of effect will remain April 1, 2014 as was decided by the government,� Satbir told PTI.
NEW DELHI, Aug 18 - Stepping in to pacify agitating ex-servicemen over the �One Rank One Pension� issue, the Prime Minister�s Office today held talks with representatives of the protesters who have agreed not to escalate their agitation for the next 10 days.
The meeting with Prime Minister�s Principal Secretary Nripendra Misra at the PMO came on a day when a third veteran joined the fast-unto-death at Jantar Mantar here, where the ex-servicemen have been protesting for 65 days demanding early implementation of OROP.
�We met Nripendra Misra in the morning. He stressed that normalcy should be restored. Asked what he meant by that, he said the fast-unto-death should be called off. We told him that if there is a concrete assurance, we will stop it,� Lt Gen Balbir Singh (retd),
president of Indian Ex-Servicemen Movement told PTI here.
He said that since a round of talks has already been held with Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, who had sought 10 days� time to discuss the issue with the Prime Minister, �there won�t be any escalation of protest for ten days�.
Maj Gen Satbir Singh (retd), who along with Lt Gen Balbir met Misra in the morning for an hour, said they have made it clear that definition of OROP will remain the same.
�We have also sought an assured date for implementation of OROP and the date of effect will remain April 1, 2014 as was decided by the government,� Satbir told PTI.
