NEW DELHI: In a big boost for the defence personnel, Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA government on Saturday announced the implementation of the ‘One Rank One Pension’ scheme. Making the announcement, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said, “To implement OROP the cost to the ex-chequer will be Rs 8000-10,000 crore. This cost will increase in coming years.” “Despite huge financial burden, government has taken a decision to implement OROP,” Parrikar added. Follow @ETDefence Twitter handle for comprehensive coverage on other buzzing Defence stories “In February 2014, the then government stated that OROP would be implemented in 2014-15. The issue of OROP has been pending for four decades. However, the Rs 500 crore announced by earlier government were not based on any thorough calculation,” Parrikar said. The government will appoint a committee under a judge to go into the issue of equalisation of pension. Pension of ex-servicemen will be revised every five years and OROP will be implemented from July 1, 2014 and the base year would be 2013. Earlier, after meeting with ex-servicemen, Parrikar met BJP President Amit Shah. Later a BJP leader said all demands of the ex-servicemen have been accepted except the pension revision demand. With their agitation at Jantar Mantar seeking early implementation of OROP entering the 83rd day, retired personnel of the armed forces had made it clear that they would not compromise on the basic concept of their demand that no senior should get lesser pension than a junior at any time. The pension for veterans of the same rank, and those who retire with full pensionable service, will be the average of the maximum and minimum paid. But to protect retired servicemen from losing out, there will be an additional safeguard to ensure that those who are already drawing above the average would not be impacted. Although the UPA government had initially allocated only Rs 500 crore for OROP, the deal was sweetened after the PMO stepped in.