Kargil Vijay Diwas: CM makes 4 big announcements
By Our Staff Reporter
Dehradun, 26 Jul: Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami paid rich tributes to the Kargil martyrs at the Shaheed Smarak during a programme hosted at Gandhi Park on the occasion of Kargil Vijay Diwas, today. The Kargil Vijay Diwas is also called Shaurya Diwas. On this occasion, the Chief Minister made several major announcements including hike in the ex-gratia grant payable to martyrs from the state from the present amount of Rs 10 lakhs to Rs 50 lakhs. The CM also honoured the family members of the Kargil martyrs at the programme.
On this occasion, Sainik Kalyan Minister Ganesh Joshi, Cabinet Minister Premchand Aggarwal, MLAs Savita Kapoor, Brij Bhushan Gairola and outgoing Mayor Sunil Uniyal Gama were also present and paid tribute to the Kargil martyrs at the Shaheed Smarak.
In a major development, the Chief Minister made 4 big announcements at the programme. He announced that the ex-gratia grant amount given to the families of the martyred soldiers from Uttarakhand will be increased from Rs 10 lakhs to Rs 50 lakhs. In addition, he also announced that the period for eligible family members of the martyred soldiers to apply for government jobs will be increased from 2 years to 5 years. The dependants of the martyrs will now be appointed to Group ‘C’ and Group ‘D’ posts in District Magistrates’ Offices as well as in other departments. He also announced that the contract workers working in the Sainik Kalyan Department will be given leave facilities like those employed for outsourced jobs in various departments through UPNL.
Dhami said that valiant soldiers from Uttarakhand and the rest of the country displayed huge valour and indomitable courage to protect Mother India during the Kargil War. The way Indian soldiers displayed their courage and valour in adverse conditions drove the intruders across the border. The whole world had to acknowledge the strength of the Indian Army. The nation will always remember the sacrifice of the brave soldiers to protect the country’s borders in the Kargil war.
The CM noted that the victory story of Kargil is also incomplete without the mention of Kargil heroes from Uttarakhand and this brave land will never forget the sacrifice of its 75 sons. The cultural environment and beliefs that have nourished all of those in Uttarakhand, believe that patriotism is the best of all types of devotion. The Chief Minister said that being a soldier’s son himself, he has seen the struggle of a soldier and his family since childhood. He recalled that Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the Prime Minister during the Kargil war. India won the war and also won diplomatically at the global level. Vajpayee made arrangements to perform the last rites of the martyrs with state honours in their native villages.
The Chief Minister said that, today, due to the efforts of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the army is not only becoming more capable and stronger than before, but its fame and glory is also rising rapidly at the global level. While, on the one hand, the Union Government is modernising the army, it is also upgrading the facilities available to the soldiers and their families. The Prime Minister is constantly increasing the courage and morale of the soldiers. The CM also reminded that Prime Minister Modi today paid tribute to the martyrs on the occasion of Kargil Vijay Diwas at the Kargil War Memorial in Ladakh. The Chief Minister said that provision of reservation in government services will be made for Agniveers in the state, an Act will be legislated soon for this.
Sainik Kalyan Minister Ganesh Joshi said that the state government under the leadership of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami is fully committed to the welfare of ex-servicemen and dependants of martyred soldiers. One member of the family of martyred soldiers is being employed by the government as per his or her qualification. So far, 26 dependants have been employed by the state government. The Uttarakhand government has increased the lump sum amount given to soldiers decorated with the state’s gallantry medal. A state-of-the-art and fully equipped ‘Shaurya Sthal (Military Dham)’ is being constructed in the memory of the martyrs of the state at Guniyalgaon in Dehradun, in which the names of all the martyrs of the state will be inscribed. He said that the second office of Sainik Kalyan Office is also being opened in Herbertpur.
On this occasion, Secretary, Sainik Kalyan, Deependra Chaudhary, Major Gen S Sabharwal (Retd), Lt Gen Ashwani Kumar (Retd), Maj Gen KS Rana (Retd), Brig KG Behl (Retd), Brig Harish Sethi (Retd), Director, Sainik Kalyan, MD, UPNL, Brig (JS Bisht (Retd), District Magistrate Sonika, SSP Ajai Singh and other senior military officers, ex-servicemen and family members of the martyrs were among those present.
