The State Government has constituted a new department named as Sainik Welfare Department in order to monitor welfare activities related to the serving and ex-servicemen besides employment generation in government, public and private sector including 70 percent employment to Himachali’s in the private sector.
Chief Minister P.K. Dhumal said that the state government was concerned about the welfare of the serving and ex-servicemen who had rendered yeoman service for the nation and brought laurels to the nation and state. The Sainik Welfare would be under the CM’s direct control. He further said that employment and self-employment would be an important activity to be monitored by the department. Other issues concerning ex-servicemen and serving soldiers related to post retirement employment, self employment, honors and awards to decorated soldiers, initiation and implementation of need based welfare schemes for the ex-servicemen, widows of the ex-servicemen, war widows, their wards, speedy and effective redressal of their grievances would be accorded top priority.
The newly created department would maintain liaison with the armed forces and get issues related to the state resolved at the appropriate level, maintain the record and recommend honors and distinctions to the exceptionally outstanding serving and ex-sevicemen, give boost to the sainik welfare activities, monitor war jagirs, administer special fund for reconstruction and rehabilitation of ex-servicemen, defence and security relief fund, and soldier’s amenity fund beside observing the Flag Day, select candidates from the state for admission to Rashtriya Indian Military College, Dehradun.
This is indeed a very positive step taken by the state government. However , sufficient powere should also be given to the officers in the sainik boards, so as to enable them to perform their duties efficiantly.Ex army officers of other states should also be given an oppourtunity to serve in the sainik boards of any state.An officer does not belong to any particular state but to the nation as a whole.Serving in the defence forces an officer serves with soldiers belonging to different parts of the country.Then , why to talk about domicile etc post release/retirement.My state when asked is ,INDIA and religion is and always will be of aSoldier only. Think about it.
Dear Capt Sharma Sir,
Those officers who have not done anything for the soldiers in the service how can you say you will solve the problems in civil…. you want to create atmosphere same as in the defence forces ….. We have seen huge differences during pay commission we got… it was you all only hiked your payments and created a huge gap….. you got your time scale promotion done…. is there any benefit you fought for the soldiers…
Well to talk about Culture in Army or rather Defence Forces. We are still in British Raj, Jawans are treated badly ,while in service and after leaving also.
This pay commission have again shown that we won’t change our British Raj Attitude pay scale was increased at different rate for Different Ranks. Officer joining Fresh will be paid more than Soldier who has worked for the Forces all his Life.There are Hundreds of similar Examples but we don’t have enough space. Goras have reformed themselves long time back and there is hardly any discrimination between Officers and Jawans. They have trimmed their Forces and Soldiers are trained to do their technical job unlike in our Bharat mata they are employed to work for Mem Sahib and keep the Golf Courses Green for Senior Officers who have worked very hard to make their assets more than known sources of Income. No need to Wonder how they manage to have big Houses in Delhi and Hill stations of India.
Defence Ministry gives Officers rank to all the nurses employed and again if you read the history you will know why Goras did thisin the begining. But Indians never thought about this and kept on with same system. Why do we need to pay Hug sum to a nurse when we can afford at small cost as we need to spend Taxpayer money on Poor of this Country.
On Second thought Defence forces are using Tax Payer money big time and its sad we are paying for thousands of Defence Officers and their wards enjoying Horse racing, Clubs, yachting and Five star luxuries, But we can still count thousands Indians living under Poverty Line.
Well about Capt Anurag argument about Domicile do agree with him Every Indians should be able to earn his living from any part of India but States like Himachal is already infested with encroaches.Hill stations are occupied by Army and High ranking Officers manage to bend Rule to buy land later for their Plush Holiday Home.
Saying all this I feel Para military Forces are given the worst Deal as they have maximum number of Causality but unlike Army they have no perks and benefits.
Last thing I would like to mention Corruption in Defence Forces.
Corruption of Defence Forces and that too top Officers are revealed every now an then so we can imagine what will be the Reality???? Do I need to mention the cases I guess not required you can search on web and enlighten yourself.
And whenever we try to delve into their World which is totally opaque they close their heavily Barricaded Gates and quote lines of patriotism.
Apologies to my friends Senior Officers in Defence Forces who are doing God Job if I offended them in any way.