Defence minister participates in a rally of veterans on the occasion of the Armed Forces Veterans Day
Sunday, 15 January 2023 | PNS | DEHRADUN
The defence minister Rajnath Singh has said that the pension, medical and other facilities being provided to the armed forces veterans are just a small token of the country’s respect towards the sacrifices and commitment they have made. Assuring them of the government’s full support to their welfare, he said “every soldier of today is a respected veteran of tomorrow. It is our duty to ensure their well-being and satisfaction.’’
The defence minister was addressing a rally of the veterans organised on the occasion of the seventh Armed Forces Veterans’ Day here on Saturday. Reiterating the Government’s commitment to ensure the welfare of the ex-servicemen, Singh shed light on the launch of a Defence Pension Grievance Redressal portal for speedy resolution of complaints of the ex-servicemen. He added on the ‘Maa Bharati ke Sapoot’ website, launched in October last year, people can contribute to the Armed Forces Battle Casualties Welfare Fund through the portal. He termed it as an important medium to connect the citizens with the welfare efforts of ex-servicemen.
In his address, Singh made special mention of the freedom fighters, soldiers and veterans of Uttarakhand, who have displayed indomitable courage and dedication to safeguard national interests. “Heroes like Veer Chandra Singh Garhwali ji who supported the freedom fighters hailed from Uttarakhand. During the Kargil war, the soldiers of the state played a crucial role by standing strong against the enemy and protecting the country with unshakeable spirit,” he said. Singh said that due to the selfless devotion and sacrifices of the Armed Forces personnel, our citizens feel safe and walk with their heads held high.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan also attended the rally.
The General Officer Commanding in Chief (GOC-in-C) Central Command Lieutenant General Yogendra Dimri, GOC, Uttar Bharat Area Lt Gen JP Mathew, GOC, Uttarakhand Sub Area, Major General Sanjeev Khatri, the President, Uttarakhand Ex-Servicemen League Major General ( Retd) Mohan Lal Aswal), The Tehri MP Mala Rajya Laxmi Shah, Soldier welfare minister Ganesh Joshi and large number of veterans attended the programme.
Many stalls were placed at Jaswant Ground during the rally. The defence minister interacted with the veterans and Veer Naris during his visit.
