UP to double cash value of gallantry awards, give jobs to martyrs’ kin: Yogi

Chief minister raises stamp duty exemption for ex-servicemen, says a soldier never retires as commitment to patriotism remains unchanged

Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday announced three major measures for serving and retired soldiers and families of martyrs.

Chief minister Yogi Adityanath at a veterans’ reunion ceremony in Meerut on Saturday. (PTI PHOTO)

The measures include doubling the one-time cash rewards and annual allowances for gallantry award winners, increasing the stamp duty exemption on property purchases by ex-servicemen from ₹20 lakh to ₹50 lakh, and providing a government job to one dependant of every martyred soldier in their home district or an adjoining district.

He made the announcements at a veterans’ reunion ceremony in Meerut. The chief minister said the measures were aimed at ensuring the dignity, security and welfare of soldiers, ex-servicemen and their families.

“From the revolutionary soil of Meerut, I make this announcement for the families of our brave soldiers: both the one-time lump-sum amount and the annuity for gallantry award recipients will be doubled. Currently, we provide a lump sum of ₹52 lakh and an annuity of ₹3,12,000 for Param Vir Chakra; a lump sum of ₹31 lakh and an annuity of ₹2,37,000 for Maha Vir Chakra, and a lump sum of ₹20,80,000 and an annuity of ₹1,37,000 for Vikra Chakra. All these will be doubled,” he said.

He also inaugurated eight newly constructed district Sainik Welfare Offices in Shamli, Amethi, Chandauli, Auraiya, Sant Kabir Nagar, Sonbhadra, Ambedkar Nagar and Gorakhpur. The buildings were constructed at a cost of ₹27.50 crore.

The ceremony also witnessed the release of Shaurya Gatha, a book documenting the bravery of soldiers from Uttar Pradesh who have received seven Ashok Chakras, 30 Kirti Chakras and 133 Shaurya Chakras.

Yogi said a soldier never retires, as only the uniform changes while the commitment to patriotism and service to the nation remains unchanged. Respecting soldiers, brave widows and families of martyrs was a commitment of the double-engine government, he added.

“There is no place in Uttar Pradesh for anti-national forces, terrorists and criminals. We have already buried them,” he said.

The chief minister also urged ex-servicemen to prepare rural youth for recruitment into the army and police forces, keep them away from drug addiction and teach them the importance of discipline.

Yogi said India had a military community of around 20 lakh people, with nearly 60,000 soldiers retiring every year. Of these, approximately 12,000 belonged to Uttar Pradesh.

Citizens could sleep peacefully because soldiers remained alert at the country’s borders, he said, adding that they stood at the forefront of national security, whether in the snow-covered heights of Siachen, deserts, seas or disaster-hit areas.

He recalled the contributions of Param Vir Chakra awardee Naik Jadunath Singh, Veer Abdul Hamid, Captain Manoj Kumar Pandey and Grenadier Yogendra Singh Yadav, among other decorated soldiers from Uttar Pradesh.

Gahmar village in Ghazipur was among the villages that had contributed the highest number of soldiers to the country, he said.

According to the chief minister, 2,685 soldiers from Uttar Pradesh had made the supreme sacrifice in the defence of the nation, while more than 2,000 had received gallantry medals.

Uttar Pradesh was not only contributing soldiers to the armed forces but was also helping equip them with modern weapons, the chief minister said.

Under the defence corridor project, BrahMos missiles were being manufactured in Lucknow. Most components of the indigenous AK-203 rifles were being manufactured in Lucknow and Kanpur, while their final assembly was taking place at the Korwa Ordnance Factory in Amethi.

Ammunition for the rifles was also being manufactured in Kanpur, he said.

The government had expanded the network of Sainik Schools in the state, while the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) had strengthened security arrangements in Deoband and border districts, he added.

Expansion of facilities for ex-servicemen

Yogi said ₹64 crore had been allocated for constructing district Sainik Welfare Offices and Sainik Rest Houses. Thirteen new buildings and rest houses had been constructed, while old buildings in four districts, including Meerut, had been renovated.

The newly constructed buildings in Shamli, Amethi, Chandauli, Auraiya, Sant Kabir Nagar, Sonbhadra, Ambedkar Nagar and Gorakhpur were inaugurated on Saturday.

The government had also decided to provide land free of cost for ECHS polyclinics in 14 districts.

The chief minister appealed to officials and institutions to ensure that copies of Shaurya Gatha reached schools and libraries so that younger generations could learn about the bravery and sacrifices of soldiers.

Family members of soldiers honoured

During the ceremony, the chief minister honoured family members of soldiers who had made the supreme sacrifice in the service of the nation by presenting them with cheques and traditional stoles.

Those honoured included Archi Singh, wife of Major Amit Sharma; Usha Sharma, mother of Major Ketan Sharma; Abrisha Khatoon, wife of Kirti Chakra awardee Sepoy Ajmer Ali; Vimlesh Devi, wife of Sapper Satish Kumar; and Meenu Tomar, wife of Shaurya Chakra awardee Anil Kumar Tomar.

Soldiers forced to fight for their dignity under previous regime: CM

Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday said soldiers had been forced to fight for their dignity and security under the previous regime.

He criticised Opposition parties for questioning military operations and putting the bravery and valour of soldiers under scrutiny.

Earlier, after terrorist attacks, governments would consider their responsibility fulfilled by sending dossiers and issuing condemnations, he said.

“Today, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, those responsible for terrorist attacks are being taught a lesson,” Yogi said.

Speaking at a veterans’ reunion ceremony in Meerut, the chief minister referred to an incident involving ex-serviceman Ganesh Kumar Shukla in 2016.

Shukla, who had participated in the Kargil War and served for 22 years in the Army’s Maha Regiment, was allegedly assaulted by supporters of a political leader after he refused to salute the leader.

He alleged that instead of taking action against the accused, the police at the time had registered an FIR against Shukla.

He also referred to the 2013 incident involving the last rites of martyr Lance Naik Hemraj Singh, when the family had to stage a protest over the alleged absence of proper administrative arrangements.

He further mentioned the murder of Lance Naik Ved Mitra Chaudhary in Meerut in 2015 and an assault on the family of a serving soldier in Etawah in February 2014.

CM targets previous govt over Meerut’s past

Taking a dig at previous governments, Yogi said Meerut, known as the land of the 1857 revolution, had acquired a reputation for vehicle thefts, illegal slaughterhouses, country-made firearms and mafia rule around a decade ago.

Sugarcane farmers had struggled to receive payments, while those demanding their dues outside sugar mills were allegedly beaten with batons, he said. Sugar mills faced closures, and farmers suffered from shortages of electricity for irrigation and water in canals, he added.

Farmers were once afraid to visit their own fields, the chief minister claimed.

He said Meerut had now acquired a new identity through the manufacturing of sports goods under the One District One Product (ODOP) scheme. Sugarcane farmers had received record payments, while free electricity and canal water were being provided to farmers.

Connectivity had improved significantly with the Namo Bharat Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS), Meerut Metro, Delhi-Meerut Expressway and Ganga Expressway, he said.

The state’s first sports university, named after hockey legend Major Dhyan Chand, was also taking shape in Meerut, he added.

One Rank, One Pension

Yogi said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had outlined five commitments for a developed India during the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav. These included respecting the country’s heritage, freeing the nation from symbols of slavery, honouring the armed forces and ex-servicemen, strengthening unity and promoting civic duties.

The long-pending demand for One Rank, One Pension had been fulfilled, the National War Memorial had been established and the defence budget had been increased, he said.

The creation of the post of Chief of Defence Staff had strengthened coordination among the three armed forces.

India’s defence exports had increased 55 times compared to 2013-14, reaching approximately ₹38,000 crore, he said.

₹59.50 crore assistance to families of martyrs

The chief minister said the ex gratia compensation provided to families of martyred soldiers had been increased from ₹20 lakh to ₹50 lakh. So far, 150 families of martyrs had received financial assistance totalling ₹59.50 crore, he added.

A system for providing government jobs to dependants of martyred soldiers had been in place since 2018.

The state had also established 200 memorials, 61 commemorative gateways and 78 statues in honour of soldiers who had laid down their lives for the country.

Thirty-one schools, 48 roads and three stadiums had been named after martyrs, he said.

Ex-servicemen of the Second World War and their wives were being provided a monthly pension of ₹6,000. Brave widows and parents of Kargil martyrs were also receiving pensions.

The annual financial assistance for disabled soldiers from Uttar Pradesh undergoing treatment at paraplegic centres had been increased to ₹1.5 lakh, he said.

On employment opportunities for ex-servicemen, Yogi said five per cent reservation had been implemented for them in Group B government posts. As many as 647 ex-servicemen had been selected for government service over the past three years.

Around 31,700 ex-servicemen had secured employment through the Sainik Welfare Corporation, he said.

The state had also introduced 20% horizontal reservation for Agniveers in various services, including the Uttar Pradesh Police, prisons and forest departments.

Since 2017, the government had provided financial assistance worth ₹96.78 crore under various Sainik Welfare schemes, he said.

More than 15,000 beneficiaries had received ₹115 crore through the Sainik Rehabilitation Fund. This included educational grants for over 8,600 children, financial assistance of ₹1 lakh each for the marriages of 907 daughters and support for 269 children selected for military academies.

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