Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Wednesday thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union defence minister Rajnath Singh for the Agneepath scheme.

He said the ‘Agneepath’ scheme would increase employment opportunities for the youth, which would also greatly benefit the youth of Haryana.

Khattar said the youth of the state have the zeal to serve the country and this is the reason that Haryana has the highest number of youth-serving in the Army.

With the new recruitment scheme, they will not only get an opportunity to serve the country but will also get a job. Besides this, their role would make it more meaningful in building a new India, said the CM.

He said 46,000 Agniveers would be recruited this year. Recruitment rallies for this will start in the next 90 days. Haryana government would give preference in jobs and other works to the youth who complete this service, Khattar said.

The CM said surely the Agneepath scheme would prove to be a milestone in the making of a new India and empowerment of youth as per the vision of the Prime Minister.

With the ‘Agneepath’ scheme, a new era has started in the human resource policy of the three defence forces. This is a major defence policy reform undertaken by the Central government. Agneepath scheme will strengthen the security of the country and provide opportunities to our youth for military service. The ‘Agneepath scheme’ will create a golden chapter in Indian military history, Khattar said.

The CM said Agniveer would be enrolled for four years under the respective Services Acts. They will get an attractive monthly package along with risk and hardship allowance as applicable in all three defence services. In addition, Agniveers will be provided with a non-contributory life insurance cover of Rs 48 lakh for their tenure in the Indian Armed Forces.

He said on completion of four years of service, Agniveers will be provided with an opportunity to apply for permanent enrollment in the Armed Forces.

The CM said 25 per cent of the Agniveers from each elite batch will be enrolled in the regular cadre of the Armed Forces. Agniveers will be paid a lump sum ‘Seva Nidhi’ package on completion of the four-year term, he added.