Relax population criteria for Himachal in Armed Forces
—Prof. Prem Kumar Dhumal
State Government has raised the matter with the Government of India to relax the recruitble male population percentage condition in the armed forces to pave the way for recruitment of willing soldiers in the armed forces and raising of a separate battalion for Himachal Pradesh keeping in view its high profile military achievements record in the country. This was stated by Prof. Prem Kumar Dhumal, Chief Minister, while addressing the State Level Flag Day function organised at Police Ground, Dharamshala, by the Sainik Welfare Department, Ex-Servicemen Corporation in association with the district administration and local army authorities, today.
Chief Minister said that the State had introduced Ex-servicemen Contributory Pension Scheme for the welfare of the ex-servicemen and their wards in nine more stations, in addition to eight places already providing service, in the State to bring more ex-servicemen under its fold. He said that the State Government was also considering introduction of military motivation camps in the educational institutions in the State to motivate them join armed forces and serve the nation in the best way.
Chief Minister paid floral tributes on behalf of the people of the State and the State Government to the martyrs who had made supreme sacrifice and attained martyrdom while protecting the national boundaries and rendering valuable service to protect the people from anti-national and anti-social elements.
Earlier Chief Minister laid a wreath at the War Memorial at Dharamsala to pay tribute to the martyrs of the State who had laid down their life and made supreme sacrifice for the cause of the nation and was joined by his cabinet colleagues, civil, police and army officers.
Chief Minister said the State Government was proud of its serving soldiers and ex-servicemen who have been rendering most valuable service to the nation. He said that Himachal Pradesh had been contributing large number of youth to the armed forces of the country. He said that First Paramvir Chakra Winner Major Som Nath Sharma hailed from district Kangra itself. He said that as many as 52 young soldiers of the State were martyred during Operation Vijay while flushing out the infilterators from Kargil hills in Laddakh region. He said that out of four PVCs two were awarded to Himachali soldiers which includes martyr Major Vikram Batra and Havildar Sanjay Kumar. He said that he had personally attended the funeral of all the Kargil martyrs in different villages of the State to offer condolence to the bereaved families. He said that youth of the State had been producing soldiers of high calibre who were known as tough fighters.
Prof. Dhumal said that there were 1,01,553 ex-servicemen and 26,445 widows having about 6,75,000 wards while 1.20 lakh serving soldiers of the State had about 6.50 lakh wards as their dependants. He said that the State had 25 per-cent of its population of serving and ex-servicemen. He said that 652 ex-servicemen and their wards had been provided employment in different departments during past two years out of which 233 in Education Department, 206 in Home Department and 131 in Banks owned by the State Government under 15 percent reservation provision for ex-servicemen and their wards.
Chief Minister said that the State had 983 award winner serving and ex-servicemen who had been granted lump sum one time award grant by the State Government as a token of appreciation towards the valuable services they had rendered for the cause of the nation and earning laurels for the State with their exemplary services. He said that the State Government had increased the old age pension from Rs. 200 to Rs. 330 per month while the veterans of the Second World War enhanced from Rs. 200 to Rs. 500 per month. He said that Yudh Jagir honorarium had also been enhanced from Rs. 900 to Rs. 2,000 benefitting 1,643 people in the State. He said that the State Government was providing free travelling facilities in HRTC buses to the war widows while the Shourya Chakra winners and their widows were also eligible to travel free in HRTC buses. He said that the State Government had constructed 22 Sainik Rest Houses in different stations in the State which were being looked after by the Sainik Welfare Deparment and providing serving and ex-servicemen boarding and lodging facilities at subsidized rates. He said that 4 Sainik Hostels at Shimla, Dharamshala, Hamirpur and Una and one cubic hostel at Dharamshala were facilitating the wards of the serving and ex-servicemen in carrying forward with their educational pursuits. He said that the State Government was also providing a financial grant of Rs. 15,000 to the marriage of the daughters of widows of ex-servicemen.
Prof. Dhumal appealed to the people to come forward with their generous donations to the Flag Day Fund to help the needy ex-servicemen and their wards at the hour of distress which would be a real service towards the serving, ex-servicemen and their families. Chief Minister presented a draft of Rs. 10 lakh, lump sum grant posthumously, for winning Shourya Chakra, by late Subedar Dhian Singh to his wife Smt. Lalita Kumari, of village Bethi, Pathiar Swali of district Kangra; Rs. 23,750 to Sena Medal Winner Col. Rajesh Kumar Sharma of district Una; financial grant of Rs. 15,000 to Smt. Ram Piari wife of late Naik Piara Lal of village Garh Jamula in district Kangra and Rs. 15,000 to Ex Naik Gian Chand of village Sinhuta , district Chamba.

He also gifted sewing machines, wheel chairs, hearing aids etc. to ex-servicemen and their wards on the occasion.
Prof. Dhumal was presented a draft of Rs. one crore as contribution towards National Security Fund to Chief Minister’s Sainik Welfare Fund by Dr. Abhishek Jain, Director of Sainik Welfare Department.
Chief Minister also went around the exhibition stalls put up by various organisations including State Government, Public Sector Undertakings, Army Authorities and NGOs.
Chief Minister also released the website of the Sainik Welfare Department depicting various welfare activities for ex-servicemen and their wards. He also released the souvenir brought out by the organisers to mark the Flag Day celebration.
A variety cultural programme was also presented by the college and school students to mark the State Level Flag Day celebration.
Shri Kishan Kapoor, Industries Minister, who also holds the portfolio of Ex-Servicemen Welfare, welcomed the Chief Minister to the State Level celebration of the National Flag Day at Dharamshala. He said that Himachal Pradesh Government had constituted a separate Sainik Welfare Department and Ex-Servicemen Welfare Corporation to look after the interests of the serving, ex-servicemen soldiers and their wards.
Shri Ramesh Dhwala, Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Minister, Smt. Sarveen Chaudhary, Social Justice and Empowerment Minister, Shri Vipan Parmar, MLA and President, District Kangra BJP, Shri Desh Raj Bagi, Chairman, Zila Parishad, Shri Trilok Kapoor,Chairman, Woolfed, Shri Shri Rajeev Bhardwaj, Vice-Chairman, HRTC, Dr. Chaman Lal Gupta, Chairman, HP Board of School Education, Shri M.C.Parmar, CMD, Ex-Servicemen Welfare Corporation, Lt. Gen. G.M.Nair, GOC-in-C, 9th Core, Maj. Gen. A.S.Chhabbrwal, GOC 9th Corps. and other dignitaries and senior officers were present on the occasion.