Jalandhar, January 23
Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) chief Capt Amarinder Singh will address a state-level rally of Indian Ex-services League, Punjab and Chandigarh, at Tanda (Hoshiarpur) on Republic Day.

The rally would witness the participation of ex-servicemen from across the state during, which they would release their manifesto highlighting their demands. Bilingual pamphlets of ex-servicemen demands would also be distributed on this occasion.

Chairman of the ex-servicemen department, PSSC-cum patron of the IES Major General GG Dwivedi said that Capt Amarinder Singh would address the rally in the capacity of an ex-serviceman and not as a political leader.

Talking about the rally, Gen Dwivedi said that they would focus on the issue of maximum utilization of the services of the ex-servicemen for the development of the state. “There is a dire need to incorporate ex-servicemen in youth, sports, anti-drug programs and skill development centers in the state so as to ensure proper streamlining of these services to the masses”, he said.

Gen Dwivedi also said, “Ex-servicemen in the state have been given a rough deal as majority of the vacancies for them in the state government quota had never been filled. We will urge upon Capt Amarinder to ensure that the skills of ex-servicemen was used for environment protection, disaster relief and trauma response teams along the National and State highways.”

Col Bhag Singh, the president of the IEL also said that they would take up the issue of one-rank, one-pension with the Congress led UPA government for its 100 percent implementation and also impress on them to remove anomalies of 6th pay commission. “Various issues have been resolved by the league through rallies and interaction with the government in the past,” he added.