Punjab Governor and UT Administrator VP Singh Badnore on Thursday asked the Punjab government to restructure its programmes and involve maximum ex-servicemen and students in their development projects.

Badnore, while presiding over the 32nd meeting of Punjab’s Rajya Sainik Board, also asked them to formulate an extensive action plan catering to the educational and healthcare needs of the families of the ex-servicemen in the state.

He said that the government machinery is fully responsive for the welfare of serving soldiers and ex-servicemen and an effective redressal mechanism is at work for mitigating their grievances.

The meeting was attended by the state Finance Minister Manpreet Badal, Chief Secretary Karan Avtar Singh, among others. Badnore further asked the officers to ensure setting up of District Sainik Sadans in the newly created districts of Punjab.

“Construction of District Sainik Sadan at Mohali has been completed whereas land has been allotted to Mansa and SBS Nagar. Similar Sadans would be set up at Moga, Barnala, Pathankot and Taran Tarn within a year,” he said.

Badnore emphasized that the members of Rajya Sainik Board must play a proactive role in creating a data bank with details of job opportunities available in the public and private sector, along with the information about ex-servicemen regarding their specialized trades and aptitude for jobs.

He said that the ex-servicemen have a great potential and experience achieved by them during their active military career and they can prove an effective instrument of change for the transformation of society.

The Governor has also asked the Board Members to work out the modalities for setting up of vocational and Skill Development centres in Punjab for the wards of defence personnel.

Speaking on the occasion, Manpreet Badal said that the Punjab government would set up two more Sainik Schools in the state whereas existing educational institutions meant for the children of the ex-servicemen including the already running Sainik School would be upgraded.

He added that the Government was also contemplating to establish Fast Track Courts for settling issued of the serving defence personnel in a time bound manner. He also said that a Special Cell has been created in the CMO for facilitating the ex-servicemen.