Dehradun: Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami participated in the tribute and felicitation ceremony held at Gandhi Park, Dehradun on Tuesday on the occasion of Vijay Diwas. He paid tribute to the brave martyrs by laying a wreath at the Martyrs’ Memorial. On this occasion, he also honored the soldiers of the 1971 war and the families of the martyrs. At the event, the Chief Minister announced that government vehicles would be provided to all five offices of the Sainik Welfare Directorate and District Sainik Welfare Offices (Didihat, Herbertpur, Pithoragarh and Haridwar).
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami extended his greetings on Vijay Diwas and paid tribute to all the brave martyrs on behalf of all the people of the state. The Chief Minister said that our brave soldiers protected the integrity and self-respect of the nation in the 1971 war with their indomitable courage and supreme sacrifice. Today is the day to remember the glorious saga of the valor, sacrifice and unwavering national devotion of the Indian Army, which is inscribed in golden letters in the pages of our history.
The Chief Minister said that in 1971, approximately 93,000 Pakistani soldiers surrendered to our army. He said that 248 brave sons of the land of Uttarakhand also made the supreme sacrifice in this war. 74 soldiers from our state were also honored with various gallantry medals for their indomitable courage and valor. He said that almost every family in Uttarakhand has a member serving in the armed forces. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the morale of the soldiers is being boosted and the army is being equipped with state-of-the-art technology and weapons.
The Chief Minister said that under the leadership of the Prime Minister, India has joined the list of top countries exporting defense equipment. Through Operation Sindhu, India has proved that our soldiers, as well as our indigenous weapons, are second to none. In this operation, indigenous weapons like the Akash missile, defense system and BrahMos missile manufactured in India have made India’s mark throughout the world. Today, every bullet fired by the enemy is being answered with shells. The Chief Minister said that this is a new India, which gives a befitting reply to every nefarious act of its enemies and annihilates them in their own strongholds.
The Chief Minister said that under the leadership of the Prime Minister, several important decisions are being taken in the interest of the brave soldiers. Whether it is the One Rank One Pension scheme, the construction of the National War Memorial, increasing the defense budget to meet all the needs of the soldiers, or strengthening the infrastructure on the border—many such works have been done. The Chief Minister said that under the guidance of the Prime Minister, the state government is also working with commitment for the welfare of soldiers and their families.
The Chief Minister said that the state government has increased the ex-gratia amount given to the dependents of martyrs from Rs. 10 lakh to Rs. 50 lakh. The lump sum and annuity amounts given to soldiers decorated with all gallantry awards, from Param Vir Chakra to Mention in Despatches, have also been increased unprecedentedly. The amount given to a soldier decorated with the Param Vir Chakra has been increased from Rs. 50 lakh to Rs. 1.50 crore. The amount for the Ashok Chakra has been increased from Rs. 30 lakh to Rs. 50 lakh, the amount for the Maha Vir Chakra and Kirti Chakra from Rs. 20 lakh to Rs. 35 lakh, and the lump sum amount for the Vir Chakra and Shaurya Chakra has been increased from Rs. 15 lakh to Rs. 25 lakh.
The Chief Minister said that a decision has been taken to provide government jobs to one member of the family of the martyrs. The period for applying for government jobs has also been increased from 2 years to 5 years. In the state, schemes such as pre-employment training and marriage grants for daughters of martyrs are also being run. In the state, free travel in government buses is provided for soldiers and ex-servicemen who have received gallantry awards, along with a 25 percent exemption in stamp duty on the purchase of property up to Rs. 25 lakh for serving and ex-servicemen. A “grand Sainik Dham” (military memorial) is also being constructed in Guniyal village of Dehradun. Minister of Sainik Welfare Ganesh Joshi said that approximately 4,000 soldiers were martyred during the 1971 war, including 248 soldiers from Uttarakhand. Around 9,000 soldiers were injured. 74 soldiers from Uttarakhand were awarded gallantry medals, which is a matter of great pride for our state. Honoring our soldiers is the duty of every citizen. The central and state governments are working together for the welfare of the soldiers. Under the leadership of Chief Minister Dhami, the ex-gratia payment for the families of martyred soldiers has been increased to ₹50 lakh. Every problem faced by the soldiers is being addressed. MLA Khajan Das, MLA Savita Kapoor, Secretary of Sainik Welfare Dipendra Chaudhary, Major General (Retd.) Sammi Sabharwal, and ex-servicemen and war widows were present on this occasion.
