The 34th meeting of the State Sainik Board, Punjab, was held on Friday at Punjab Raj Bhavan under the chairmanship of the Governor of Punjab and Administrator Chandigarh Gulab Chand Kataria.
The meeting focused on reviewing and strengthening various welfare measures for the families of martyrs, ex-servicemen (ESM), war widows, and their dependents.
Addressing the gathering, the Governor welcomed all members and emphasized the importance of conducting meetings on a regular basis to assess and enhance the implementation of welfare initiatives for ex-servicemen.
He underscored that the families of martyrs, who have made the supreme sacrifice for the nation, must always remain a priority in the state’s policies.
Additional Chief Secretary, Defence Services Welfare, Punjab, JM Balamurugan, initiated the proceedings by presenting a brief overview of the efforts being undertaken by the Department of Defence Services Welfare (DSW), Punjab.
This was followed by an address from Brig Bhupinder Singh Dhillon (Retd), Director, DSW Punjab, who elaborated on the key initiatives of the department and the Rajya Sainik Board for the welfare of ex-servicemen and their dependents.
During the meeting, the Governor stressed the need to urgently address the shortage of officers in the Defence Services Welfare Department to ensure that all welfare schemes and initiatives are effectively executed.
He also endorsed the views expressed by Brig. Digvijay Basera on empowering ex-servicemen and their dependents by providing maximum employment opportunities and special training to prepare them for jobs available under the 13% quota reserved for ESM and their dependents.
A significant focus of the discussion was on the rehabilitation of Agniveers. Hon’ble Governor emphasized the need for special provisions to absorb Agniveers in government jobs while also ensuring that maximum employment opportunities are created for them in the private sector within Punjab.
He stated that ex-servicemen possess valuable skills that should be utilized optimally across different government and private sectors, contributing to the state’s overall workforce. In line with this, he directed that local-level jobs should be given to local ex-servicemen to ensure that they can continue serving their communities.
The Governor further directed that data regarding retiring armed forces personnel be shared by Central Bodies such as the Kendriya Sainik Board and Directorate General of Resettlement, New Delhi, so that a comprehensive mapping of skilled manpower can be done.
This data should then be integrated into the portals of SSSB Punjab and PPSC to align job vacancies with skilled veterans, he said.
He also emphasized that greater awareness must be created about the 13 per cent job reservation for ex-servicemen and their dependents, along with preparatory training programs to help them qualify for these positions.
Another key directive was to amplify awareness and publicity of the various welfare schemes run by the Punjab Government to ensure that beneficiaries can fully avail themselves of these services.
The meeting was attended by Hon’ble Finance Minister of Punjab, Shri Harpal Singh Cheema, Minister In-charge of Defence Services Welfare, Mohinder Bhagat, Chief Secretary, Punjab, KAP Sinha, Principal Secretary to Governor Punjab Shri V P Singh, Additional Chief Secretary, Defence Services Welfare, Punjab, JM Balamurugan, Brig Bhupinder Singh Dhillon (Retd), Director, Defence Services Welfare Board besides senior IAS officers of the various concerned departments.