Garhwal Post Bureau
Haldwani, 16 Aug: Sainik Welfare Minister Ganesh Joshi today inaugurated the newly constructed UPNL office building for the Kumaon Division in Haldwani. Constructed at a cost of approximately Rs 1.50 crore, the building will provide better facilities to ex-servicemen, their dependents, and personnel associated with UPNL.
On the occasion, Minister Ganesh Joshi said that Haldwani is the gateway to the Kumaon region and a large number of ex-servicemen and their families reside here. Therefore, it was essential to have a well-equipped and convenient UPNL office in the city. He said that the office was earlier being operated from a small room, causing difficulties for ex-servicemen and others visiting the office. The new building will help resolve these issues.
Minister Joshi said that UPNL is providing employment opportunities to ex-servicemen and their dependents across the state. Efforts are now also underway to provide employment opportunities overseas. He said there is significant demand for manpower in foreign countries and discussions in this regard are underway. The process related to overseas employment is expected to begin within the next month. This initiative will benefit ex-servicemen, their dependants, as well as other eligible youth.
The Minister announced that Agniveers will also be provided opportunities for overseas employment. Efforts are being made to connect around 50 percent of Agniveers with overseas employment through UPNL. He said the initiative would create better employment opportunities not only for military families but also for the youth of Uttarakhand.
Minister Ganesh Joshi added that the state government is continuously taking important decisions for the welfare of serving and retired defence personnel. The accident insurance cover for UPNL employees has been substantially enhanced to Rs 50 lakh through an agreement with Punjab National Bank.
He further said that the financial assistance provided in the event of the martyrdom of Army and paramilitary personnel deployed along the borders has also been increased from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 50 lakh. The government is also working towards naming roads, schools, or other institutions after martyrs, in accordance with the wishes of their families.
The Minister said that construction of the Sainik Dham has been completed to honour martyrs and preserve their memories. Sacred soil from the courtyards of 1,734 martyrs’ families and water from 28 rivers of the state have been brought to Sainik Dham. He said that the facility will soon be dedicated to Veer Matas, Veer Naris, and the people of Uttarakhand.
He reiterated that the government is fully committed to the honour and welfare of serving soldiers, ex-servicemen, and their families. Ex-servicemen will also no longer require a separate pass to enter the Secretariat for official work; their ex-servicemen identity card will be sufficient.
Minister Ganesh Joshi said the state government’s objective is to provide maximum facilities and employment opportunities to soldiers, ex-servicemen, their families, and the youth. He said the newly constructed UPNL office building in Haldwani is an important step in this direction.
Mandi Chairman Anil Dabbu, Minister of State-level status Gambhir Dhami, UPNL Managing Director Brigadier (Retd) JNS Bisht, Colonel Govind Singh, Colonel Alok Pandey, Colonel Ramesh Adhikari, and other dignitaries were present on the occasion.
