PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/ Dehradun Chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said that 248 brave sons of Uttarakhand had made the supreme sacrifice for the nation in the Indo- Pak war of 1971. He said 74 soldiers from Uttarakhand were awarded gallantry medals for their indomitable courage and bravery in this war. Dhami was addressing a programme organised to mark the Vijay Diwas at Gandhi Park here on Tuesday. The CM said that with indomitable courage and supreme sacrifice, the brave soldiers protected the integrity and self-respect of the nation in the 1971 war. He said that nearly every family in Uttarakhand has a member in the armed forces of the country. The CM said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the armed forces of the country are being equipped with state-of-the-art technology and weapons which has boosted the morale of soldiers. He averred that in recent times India has joined the list of top defence exporting nations. Through Operation Sindhu, India proved that not only our soldiers but also our indigenous weapons are second to none. In this operation, indigenous weapons like the Akash missile, defence systems and BrahMos missile showcased their prowess to the world. Now the new India gives a befitting reply to every nefarious act of the enemy and destroys them in their own hideouts, he said. Dhami said that under PM Modi’s leadership, many important decisions are being taken in the interest of soldiers. He listed One Rank One Pension scheme, construction of the National War Memorial, increasing the defence budget and strengthening infrastructure on the borders as some of these measures. The CM 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 government has also hiked the lump sum and annuity amount given to soldiers decorated with all the gallantry awards from Param Vir Chakra to Mention in Despatches. Dhami said that a decision has been taken to provide a government job to one member of the martyr’s family and the application period for this has also been increased from two to five years. Schemes such as pre-job training and daughter marriage grants are also being implemented for the dependents of martyrs in the State. Along with free travel on government buses for gallantry award-winning soldiers and ex-servicemen, a 25 per cent stamp duty exemption is also being provided to serving and ex-servicemen on the purchase of property up to Rs 25 lakh. A war memorial is also being constructed in Guniyal village, Dehradun. Speaking on the occasion, Sainik Kalyan minister Ganesh Joshi said that both the Central and State governments are working together for the welfare of soldiers. He said that the honorarium given to the families of martyred soldiers has been increased to Rs 50 lakh. In the programme, the CM paid tribute to the martyrs by laying a wreath at the martyrs’ memorial. He also felicitated the soldiers of the 1971 war and the families of the martyrs. MLA Khajan Das, Savita Kapoor, secretary Sainik Kalyan Deependra Chaudhary, major general ( retd) Sammy Sabarwal, ex-servicemen and their families attended the programme.
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