SAMBA, Oct 27 : In contrast to previous governments, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration is extremely sensitive to and concerned about the welfare of the armed forces and their martyrs, according to Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh, who stated today that Modi has made several ground-breaking decisions for the welfare of martyrs over the last nine years. According to him, no other government has launched as many welfare programmes and benefits to support the families of martyrs as it has in the past nine years.“Although the nation and the family cannot be repaired by the loss of a precious life, the Government takes this responsibility very seriously and cares deeply for the families of the martyrs,” stated Dr. Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology; Deputy Prime Minister for Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy, and Space.
Singh Speaking to a crowd following the dedication of the Shaheed Gate, also known as the Martyr’s Gate and named for Colonel Narayan Singh (OBE), in the Samba area of J&K .According to the Union Minister, the government pays the surviving relatives of fallen soldiers between Rs. 25 and Rs. 45 lakh as an ex-gratia. Additional funds supplied by the Army Central Welfare Fund in the form of ex-gratia total Rs. 8,00,000. Ex-gratia payments are also made by state governments in accordance with their policies. This is on top of the standard service benefits and the Liberalised Family Pension. He said that Agniveer’s next of kin will get more than Rs. 1 crore in the event that he dies while performing his job. According to Dr. Jitendra Singh, welfare measures include giving dependent children’s families financial support and scholarships for a range of educational needs as well as job reservations.According to the Minister, government of India nominees who are the wards of defence personnel will have places reserved in medical and dental colleges. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare allots 42 MBBS seats and 3 seats in BDS courses. Wards of personnel killed in combat receive special consideration for this. Jobs in public sector banks and CPSEs have also been reserved. In Delhi and the National Capital Region, SAFAL outlets are available to widows, dependents of service people who died while serving, and ex-servicemen. The Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas has set aside 8% of its quota for the distribution of LPG and the allocation of retail locations for gasoline and diesel to defence personnel, which also includes widows and dependents of armed forces members who have perished in combat. War widows are also given concession identity cards for rail travel, he said. Dr. Jitendra Singh, a member of the Lok Sabha from J&K’s Udhampur seat, complimented the organisers of the “Ek Eint Shaheed ke Naam” institution and stated that we are grateful for our safe borders since our armed forces warriors made the ultimate sacrifice.“The gallant soldiers who bravely guard our borders year-round, around-the-clock, are the reason we, the nation’s citizens, can go about our daily lives in peace,” he remarked. According to Dr Jitendra Singh, there has been a noticeable decrease in cross-border shooting events along the Line of Control and International Border during the past nine years, and there has also been a decrease in violence in the J&K Union Territory, particularly in the four years since Article 370 was cancelled in August 2019. However, the recent spate of irregular shooting incidents and ongoing attempts at infiltration across the Line of Control demonstrate that we are unable to let our guard down when it comes to potential threats from Pakistan and the areas it occupies illegally.“Since PM Modi assumed office in 2014, India’s stance has evolved. The September 2016 surgical strikes by the Indian Army and the February 2019 IAF airstrikes on Balakote sent a strong message across the border that terrorist acts funded from outside the country will be met with severe consequences,” the Minister stated.
