Having vast administrative and strategic experience of more than four decades, lt Gen (Retd) Mahesh Chander Badhani, PVSM & VSM took over the charge of chairman of Uttarakhand Purv Sainik Kalyan Nigam limited (UPNl) on 12 July, this year.
Since his joining, he has been burning the midnight oil for generating more employment opportunities for the ex-servicemen and their wards in the Garhwal and Kumaon divisions of Uttarakhand.
While highlighting about future plans for further enhancing the facilities for ex-servicemen and kin and non-defence background residents, in an exclusive interaction with The Pioneer, lt Gen Badhani said that department is planning to launch group planning insurance schemes for its employees.
He stressed that although 50-60 per cent of the jobs have been conferred to ex-servicemen so far but the department will leave no stone unturned to increase the figures in the near future.
He said that vision of the UPNl is clearly defined to encompass the use of well-trained, highly disciplined, patriotic and motivated reservoir of human resources in the development of the State.
"UPNl acts as contractor on the behalf of ESM and bids for security contracts in Central Public Sector Corporations, State Public Sector Corporations, and in private sector as well," he reiterated, adding that salary is as per the contracts and varies from contract to contract.
lt Gen Badhani stressed that UPNl charges nothing from ESM for assisting them to have jobs as per the qualification, experience and job requirements. He told that UPNl prefers to give employment opportunities to locals first in order to curb their financial constraints. Apart from depositing tax regularly, UPCl fulfills all the statutory obligations like EPF contribution, gratuity, bonus and other variant perks.
lt Gen Badhani categorically said that UPNl has provided employment opportunities to more than 17,152 ex-servicemen and their dependents so far since its inception besides, UPNl has also provided jobs to 1,251 Technical Grade-II and other supporting staff to various nodal agencies which include Uttarakhand Power Corporation limited (UPCl), Indian Oil, Central Warehousing, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation limited, NHPC, ONGC, Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam limited etc.
He told that one Regional Project Office (RPO) has been working in Haldwani, Nainital for generating employment opportunities for those residents who live in the Kumaon division of the State.
Additionally, UPNl has also established its offices at Agartala, Kanpur, Hazira, Kolkata and Joshimath. It is equally important to mention here is that the UPNl is Government of Uttarakhand undertaking, incorporated on 01 March, 2004 under Companies Act- 1956, it is being empanelled in Director General Resettlement, Ministry of Defence, New Delhi with a vision to provide employment to ex-servicemen, who retire early.
Besides, UPNl is also placement agency for other categories of employment and for private sector as well and UPNl has also authority to even place doctors to the nodal agency by short listing names obtained from employment exchanges or through displays. UPNl has been working for creating a network of hostel facilities for children of ESM thereby providing them an opportunity to pursue higher education in their respective districts.
Since hostel facilities at an affordable rate is being made available, this is likely to contribute towards stopping migration. It is to be stressed that UPNl being a Uttarakhand Government undertaking is governed by Board of Director that includes six IAS officer from Government of Uttarakhand, six serving and retired armed forces' top brass and managed by highly professional Chairman of the rank of lt Gen (Retd) ad Managing Director of the ranks of Brigadier.
lt Gen Badhani stressed that former chairman and Cabinet Minister Harak Singh Rawat has also introduced couple of beneficiary schemes for the welfare of ESMs and their wards during his tenure and achieved all set targets in the given time frame.
Considering the vast administrative and strategic experience of lt Gen Badhani, he has been also acting as Chairman of Disaster Management Advisory Committee in Uttarakhand. While highlighting about the relief and rescue operations being run by the State Government after witnessing natural catastrophe in the month of June, lt Gen Badhani stressed that lives of hundreds of pilgrims and villagers were saved as the State Government had initiated the timely action in the disaster affected areas of the Garhwal and Kumaon divisions of Uttarakhand.
"The State Government should focus on rebuilding planned infrastructure in the disaster affected area of the State," he reiterated, adding that damaged was curtailed upto maximum extent as state government acted vehemently and promptly for saving the lives of the villagers.
lt Gen Badhani said that department has been delving to have strategic edifice for the short and long term.
"The things were strewn in the disaster affected areas of the State after natural calamities played catastrophe but the Government machinery worked round the clock for disseminating relief materials to the disaster affected areas and finally things have started getting normal," he elucidated, adding that rescue and relief operations were done in right demeanor.
lt Gen Badhani said that since natural calamities played catastrophe and understanding the responsibility to contribute for re-building, the UPNl will also leave no stone unturned to give preference to those villagers, who faced the brunt of the natural calamities.
He said that the Committee will table its recommendations to the Government of Uttarakhand highlighting early warning systems, function and operation of disaster management, managing the flow of tourists, river taming, channelizing tunnels etc. for ensuring the best possible speedy recovery in case natural disaster strikes again in any part of the State in the near future.
He also said that most of the connecting roads and routes have been already repaired by the State Government for ensuring the timely disseminating of the relief materials to the needy despite facing the inclement weather in the higher and tough hilly terrains of Uttarakhand.
After hoping that things would be settled down in the near future as the State Government has been vehemently working for redressing the grievance of the villagers, lt Gen Badhani said that Committee would recommend the best strategic to State Government after holding series of meetings with higher officials from different Government departments.