CM pays homage to Kargil martyrs on Kargil Vijay Diwas
Garhwal Post Bureau
DEHRADUN, 26 Jul: On the occasion of Kargil Vijay Diwas, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami paid homage to the martyrs of the Kargil war by laying a wreath at the Shaheed Smarak in Gandhi Park, here on Saturday. He honoured the families of the slain soldiers who had sacrificed their lives defending the nation.
Announcing new welfare measures for the ex–servicemen, Dhami stated that an Ex–Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme facility and a Sainik Vishram Griha (Rest House) would be established in Kaleshwar, Chamoli, with another rest house to be established also in Nainital. He also announced that ex–servicemen would be sent abroad for employment opportunities through Uttarakhand Purva Sainik Kalyan Nigam Limited (UPNL), alongside 50 per cent civilian participation. Presently, UPCL provides employment to 22,500 individuals, and steps are being taken to regularise their services.
Reminiscensing the sacrifices made during the Kargil War, the CM asserted that the nation will forever remember the bravery of its soldiers who defended the motherland in the challenging terrain and airspace of Kargil. He also reminded that Uttarakhand lost 75 soldiers in the conflict, whose courage and strategic excellence led to victory and forced enemy retreat.
Dhami also reminded the gathering of the strengthening of the armed forces under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership and cited the provision of modern weaponry and technological upgrades. He recalled the success of Operation Sindoor, which, he reminded, decisively humbled Pakistan in a matter of just four days under the Prime Minister’s leadership. He asserted that Operation Sindoor sent a firm message to enemies seeking to harm the dignity of Indian women, stating that India responds to enemy fire with decisive force and now represents a new nation that retaliates firmly against hostile acts.
Speaking about the key decisions taken under the PM’s leadership, the CM reminded the gathering about the implementation of the One Rank-One Pension scheme (OROP), the construction of the National War Memorial, an increased Defence budget, and reinforced border infrastructure. He observed that the Uttarakhand government has raised the ex-gratia amount for families of martyrs from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 50 lakh. Additionally, both lump sum and annual grants for gallantry award recipients, from Param Vir Chakra to Mention in Despatches, have been enhanced, with the ex-gratia for Param Vir Chakra awardees increased from Rs 50 lakh to Rs 1.5 crore.
Dhami further shared that one member from a martyr’s family is being appointed to government service, with the application window extended from two years to five years. Gallantry award winners and ex–servicemen in the state are also entitled to free travel on transport corporation buses, and a 25 per cent stamp duty exemption is being provided for property purchases up to Rs 25 lakh.
Minister for Sainik Welfare Ganesh Joshi also echoed these sentiments, claiming that the armed forces have grown substantially stronger under the Prime Minister’s leadership. He noted that 75 Uttarakhand soldiers were martyred during the Kargil War, including 31 from Dehradun alone. Joshi also shared that to date, 1,831 soldiers from Uttarakhand have laid down their lives, with 1,528 receiving gallantry awards, and 344 honoured with distinguished service medals. The minister stated that the Central and state governments continue to work in coordination for the welfare of soldiers, and 37 individuals have so far benefitted from government job appointments extended to dependents of martyrs.
Among those present on the occasion included Rajya Sabha MP Naresh Bansal, MLAs Khajan Das and Savita Kapoor, Vinod Uniyal, Secretary Sainik Kalyan Dipendra Chaudhary, Maj Gen (Retd) Shammi Sabharwal, Brig (Retd) Amrit Lal, Brig (Retd) JS Bisht (Retd), Brig (Retd) KG Behl (Retd), District Magistrate Dehradun Savin Bansal, SSP Ajai Singh, and other military officers, ex–servicemen, and families of martyrs.
