Wednesday, 27 July 2022 | PNS | Dehradun
Chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has said that the saga of victory in Kargil war is incomplete without the bravehearts of Uttarakhand. He said that Uttarakhand, the Veer Bhumi would never forget the supreme sacrifice of its 75 sons in the Kargil war. He was addressing a programme organised to pay tributes to the martyrs on the occasion of Kargil Vijay Diwas organised at Gandhi Park here on Tuesday. He said that the brave soldiers of India wrote a new definition of valour in the Kargil war and the manner in which our soldiers pushed back the infiltrators proved the mettle of the Indian army.
Paying glowing tributes to the martyrs, the CM said that the country would never forget their sacrifice. Striking a personal connection with the ex-servicemen and their families, Dhami said that he comes from a family with an army background and he understands the sacrifices a soldier’s family has to make. Remembering former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the CM said that the country won the war and diplomacy under his leadership and he made arrangements that the last rites of the martyrs are done at their ancestral places.
He said that under PM Narendra Modi the armed forces of the country are becoming stronger and more capable. He said that on one hand our government is focussing on modernisation of the army and on the other hand it is increasing the facilities for the armed forces personnel and their families. He cited Agnipath as one such scheme that is strengthening the Indian army. He said that as the country is celebrating 75 years of its Independence, it has new commitments and challenges before it and we should set our targets now. Dhami said that Uttarakhand would play a major role in the journey of development of the country.
Dhami said that the state government is committed for the welfare of ex servicemen and the dependents of the martyrs. One person in the family of the martyr is being given a government job as the qualifications. He said that the state government has increased the award money for the recipients of gallantry awards. Dhami said that a martyrs’ memorial (Sainnya Dham) is coming up at a plot of four hectares in Gunnyal Gaon of Dehradun. In this memorial the names of all the martyrs of the state would be etched. He said that the state government has decided to offer a one time grant of Rs 10 lakh for the widows and dependents of the martyrs. The CM said that Uttarakhand is one of the few states which provide a rebate of 25 per cent in stamp duty on purchase of property up to Rs 25 lakhs. Similarly the state also provides a remuneration of Rs 8,000 per month to the ex servicemen appointed as block representatives. Their work is to contact the ex- servicemen and widows of armed personnel and inform them about the government facilities. A grant of Rs one lakh is provided to the widows of armed forces personnel on marriage of her daughters and the state government is providing an assistance of Rs 50,000 to the youngsters on clearance of written examination of CDS, NDA and UPSC.
The CM also felicitated the widows and family members of Kargil martyrs in the programme. Cabinet minister Premchand Agarwal, Dehradun mayor Sunil Uniyal Gama and others were present on the occasion.
