M A I N   N E W S

Badal showers sops on defence personnel, veterans
Punjab Chief Minister lays foundation stone of war heroes’ memorial on Amritsar-Attari road
Tribune News Service

Amritsar, February 12
Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today announced a bonanza for serving armed forces personnel, ex-servicemen and NCC cadets apparently with an eye on the Lok Sabha elections.

He made several announcements in this regard at the foundation stone-laying ceremony of the Punjab State War Heroes Memorial and Museum here.

Addressing a gathering at Ranjit Avenue here to mark the occasion, Badal said the state government would soon launch a special drive to fill the backlog of vacancies reserved for ex-servicemen in various departments, boards and corporations.

He also announced the doubling of the loan extended to war widows for the construction of houses from the existing Rs 5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh, besides enhancing the ‘War Jagir’ from Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,000. He promised to waive the property tax on the property owned by serving Army personnel and ex-servicemen.

Acceding to another demand of the ex-servicemen, the Chief Minister ordered the immediately slashing of the VAT being charged on CSD items from 6.5 per cent to 4 per cent.

A special court at Jalandhar for quick dispensation of justice to serving Army personnel and veterans would be set up, he said. Two dedicated police stations at Jalandhar and Amritsar would be opened. These would be directly supervised by an officer not below the rank of SP, he said. A toll-free number in the office of Financial Commissioner Revenue (FCR) at Chandigarh would be started to enable serving and veteran Army personnel to get their cases related to revenue matters, especially eviction from houses on rent, resolved.

Enthused over the success of Maharaja Ranjit Singh Armed Forces Preparatory Academy at Mohali, the CM said that the Mai Bhago Armed Forces Preparatory Institute for girls would be established to enable them to get selected in the armed forces. The state government has already allotted 200 acres to the Union government for setting up a Service Selection Centre (North) at Rupnagar, he said.

About the memorial

• Punjab State War Heroes Memorial and Museum will come up on seven acres in the Naraingarh area on Amritsar-Attari road
• To be built at a cost of Rs 100 crore, the memorial will have a 45-ft-high sword at its centre. This structure will stand atop a platform surrounded by a water body.
• The names of martyrs will be inscribed on the memorial. The boundary wall will be constructed with Nanakshahi bricks and the memorial will be constructed on the green- building principles.
• Army tanks and weapons will also be displayed at the memorial which will showcase the history of the wars fought

Ex-Army Chiefs seek national war memorial
Tribune News Service

Amritsar, February 12
Former Army Chiefs General JJ Singh (retd) and General Shankar Roy Chaudhary (retd) today advocated the need for having a national war memorial and ‘one rank, one pension’ for armed forces personnel and ex-servicemen at the foundation stone-laying ceremony of the Punjab State War Heroes Memorial and Museum here.

General Chaudhary (retd) said these two wishes of Army personnel remain unfulfilled while suggesting that the memorial in Amritsar be considered the national war memorial till one is constructed by the Centre.

In his address, General JJ Singh (retd) saluted the martial spirit of Punjabis, saying Punjab is not only a land of five rivers but is also a sacred land of warriors, winners and martyrs. He lauded the state government’s move to set up a war memorial, hoping that the Centre would get inspiration from it.

Bharat Ratna for Arjan Singh

CM Parkash Singh Badal urged the Centre to bestow the Bharat Ratna upon Marshal of the Air Force Arjan Singh. He said Arjan Singh deserved the honour for his outstanding services in the Air Force.