October 03, 2008 : The Government of India has agreed in principle to grant one-rank-one-pension to the ex-servicemen on the vigorous pursuation by the state government at the highest level. This was revealed by Prof. Prem Kumar Dhumal, Chief Minister, in his address to the members of the HP State Ex-Servicemen League Meeting held at Kangra today.Chief Minister said that the state government had been raising various demands of the ex-servicemen at the highest level and urging the Government of India to deliver relief to them, in token of their valuable services they had rendered to the nation. he said that during the visit of the President of India to Shimla recently, he had handed over a memorandum to her, which included some demands relating to the state and the ex-servicemen, and one-rank-one-pension was one of them. He said that during his visits to Delhi recently he had personally pursued the matter with the higher authorities as also urged intervention of the President of India, to get the matter resolved for all time to come. He informed that the President had assured him of delivering justice to the ex-servicemen by taking up the matter with concerned authorities at the Central level.
Prof. Dhumal said that besides HP State Ex-Servicemen Welfare Corporation the state government had recently created a separate department to cater to the welfare, relief, rehabilitation and the resettlement needs of the serving and retired soldiers. He said that department would also be assisting the wards of the soldiers in getting their various grievances redressed. He said that the state government was making all out efforts to carry resettlement of the retired soldiers, so that the experience they had acquired during active service was utilized to the optimum and sources of income generated to them. he said that the state government was in the process to generate move employment avenues to the ex-servicemen. He said that there was a separate cell in the Chief Minister’s Office to cater to the needs of the ex-servicemen and he was personally monitoring the progress of the cell.
Chief Minister said that the nation would remain indebted towards the soldiers who had made supreme sacrifice by laying down their lives for the cause of the nation and bring laurel to the state. He said that the others who had rendered valuable services during active service, in war and in peace had equally contributed towards the cause of the nation and people were proud of them. He said that all such soldiers had emerged national heroes to the people and their services remained remarkable in the history of the nation.
Prof. Dhumal reiterated the resolve of the state government to protect the interests of the serving and ex-servicemen who always upheld the rich traditions of the armed forces. He said that the holy land of Himachal Pradesh had produced great sons like First Paran Vir Chakra Awardee late Major Som Nath Sharma, late Lt. Col. Dhan Singh Thapa, late Major Vikram Batra and Shri Sanjay Kumar. He said that out of four PVCs awarded during the Operation Vijay in Kargil, the state soldiers were awarded two, which brought laurel to the state. He said that the exemplary services being delivered by the soldiers and the supreme sacrifice made, would be written in golden letters in the history of the country. He said that the state government had provided the best package to the martyrs of the Kargil which emerged a model for the country. He said that the injured soldiers were also compensated financially. He said that various memoirs had been raised in honour of the martyrs all over the state as a tribute to them.
Prof. Dhumal assured the ex-servicemen that the interests of the ex-servicemen were safe in the hands of the state government and all out efforts would be made to deliver various benefits to the ex-servicemen. He assured them that he was aware of the various demands of the ex-servicemen which would be considered sympathetically and on priority.
Chief Minister announced an ex-gratia grant of Rs. 2 lakh to the League and urged them to come forward in lending their cooperative hand in the hour of need to the state government.
Shri Ravinder Ravi, IPH Minister, Shri Ramesh Dhwala, Food Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Minister, Smt. Sarveen Chaudhary, Capt. Atma Ram, Shri Virender Kanwar, Shri Vipan Parmar, Shri Praveen Sharma, Sshri Sanjay Chaudhary, Shri G.S.Bali, MLAs, Shri Kripal Parmar, former MP, Shri Vidya Sagar, Shri Dulo Ram, Shri Naveen Dhiman, former MLAs, Shri Kamlesh Pant, DC, Dr. Atul Fulzele, SP, Lt. Gen A.S.Jamwal, (Rtd), Lt. Gen. K.S.Jamwal (Rtd), Lt. Gen. P.P.Ram Pal (Rtd.), Maj. Gen. P.S.Rana (Rtd.) and other ranks were present among others.