In an apparent attempt to woo the armed personnel ahead 2017 polls, the Punjab Government not only announced a round-the-clock helpline to address their grievances, but also inaugurated ‘incomplete’ war heroes memorial and museum on Sunday.
Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal inaugurated Rs 130 crore Punjab State War Heroes Memorial and Museum — one of its own kind in the country — at the holy city of Amritsar in the presence of a galaxy of war veterans including General JJ Singh, Air Chief Marshal SK Sareen, General Deepak Kapoor, among others.
However, a lot of work is yet to be completed which Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal admitted may take more than a month.
Badal, on the occasion, announced a 24X7 helpline for addressing the grievances of serving defence personnel and veterans in the state. “The helpline would be set up at state capital Chandigarh and would specifically redress defence personnel's grievances on priority basis,” he said.
Besides, he also asked the Deputy Commissioners (DCs) and Senior Superintendents of Police (SSPs) to accord due recognition and respect to the Defence personnel and veterans, , whenever they visit their offices.
“The district Police and Civil administration should never be complacent on this account as the Defence personnel and ex-servicemen constitute one of the most revered sections of the society,” he said.
listing initiatives taken for the welfare of ex-servicemen and their families, Badal said that the state government had decided to extend a cash grant worth Rs 50 lakh to war widows or legal heirs of soldiers who had died in the 1965 and 1971 Indo-Pak wars, and 1962 Indo-China war.
“The state government has also decided to enhance the one-time grant for the recipients of Param Vir Chakra, and Ashok Chakra from Rs 30 lakh to Rs two crore, Mahavir Chakra from Rs 20 lakh to Rs one crore and Vir Chakra from Rs 15 lakh to Rs 50 lakh,” he said.
Badal said that the amount of ex-gratia to all battle casualties in case of death has been increased from Rs two lakh to Rs five lakh.
He also complimented Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Army for the surgical strikes in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. “This unique and bold initiative has rejuvenated the spirit of patriotism and nationalism amongst the countrymen,” he said.
“This state-of-the art memorial would act as a beacon to inspire our youngsters for serving the nation thereby displaying the ethos of Punjabi's rare valour and patriotism,” said Badal adding that the memorial would be a befitting tribute to commemorate remarkable contribution made by Punjabi soldiers and officers to defend country’s sovereignty surpassing long period of more than 600 years right from the times of Sikhs’ sixth master Guru Hargobind Singh till Kargil war.
“The major attraction of this monument is the installation of world's tallest sword in the memorial,” added Badal who also felicitated several retired army officials.
Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal, speaking at the function, said that Jang-e-Azadi memorial is also coming up in Kartarpur at a cost of Rs 200 crore.
He said that some “anti-Punjab forces” are deliberately defaming Punjabi youth as drug addicts while citing example of Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi who had branded 70 percent of Punjabi youth as drug addicts.
Making the picture clear, he said that Punjab is only the transit route of drugs which actually originate from Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Saluting the country’s army and ex-servicemen for their contribution towards the country, Sukhbir said that Punjabis have always been in the forefront to defend the country and would continue to do so.
Union Minister and Punjab BJP chief Vijay Sampla said that the NDA Government led by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has fulfilled the long pending demand of One Rank One Pension (OROP).