As a tribute to the supreme sacrifice of the gallant young men who gave their lives in the service of the country, the Uttarakhand Chief Minister, Pushkar Singh Dhami, on a visit to Kotdwar, offered a tribute to the martyrs and declared to triple the amount of ex gratia paid to the families of the bravery hearts. The previously ₹10 lakh compensation has been increased fivefold to ₹50 lakh.
In his speech at the meeting, CM Dhami conveyed that he was very grateful to the soldiers who sacrificed their lives for the nation and to the soldiers whose families he assured that the state government will do all that it can to ensure that their families prosper. According to him, martyrdom must and can never be reimbursed in financial terms, but the government must nonetheless reward the families of martyrs with courage and perseverance.
In the ceremony, the Chief Minister himself paid homage to a few families of the martyrs of the area, during which time he distributed mementoes to the families and promised them further government assistance. The occasion was marked by emotional moments as the families were felicitated amidst a thunderous applause and nationalistic songs.
The Chief Minister pointed out that Uttarakhand is the Land of the Brave and has provided considerable contributions to the armed forces, with thousands of soldiers serving the nation with honour. Our men in arms have always held the honour of the country. Our moral and administrative duty is to support their families, our moral and administrative responsibility is to be with their families, Dhami said. The move by the government to increase the ex gratia is a component of a plan to toughen welfare provisions among defense personnel and their dependents. On this day, previously, Dhami had given a declaration that dependents of martyrs had now five years rather than two to seek government employment under the compassionate appointment policy.
Associations of ex-servicemen and families of martyrs throughout Uttarakhand have greatly welcomed the move. They celebrated the move as a long-overdue appreciation of the efforts and sacrifices of the soldiers of the state.
Political observers see the announcement as a humane gesture, as well as a strategy that would support a pro-soldier President in a state with a high level of representation in the military.
Uttarakhand will follow suit and become one of the states that provides the maximum compensation to the families of martyred soldiers, and become the first to lead the way to others. CM Dhami once again made it clear that the welfare of soldiers, veterans and their families would remain on the agenda of his government and that they would be accorded the respect they deserve.
