Badal placates ex-servicemen rally

JALANDHAR, Dec 18: Punjab Chief Minister, P.S. Badal today said the state government would bring about a legislation to safeguard the lan...

JALANDHAR, Dec 18: Punjab Chief Minister, P.S. Badal today said the state government would bring about a legislation to safeguard the lands and properties of ex-servicemen and get the illegally possessed ones vacated through summary trials. Badal also assured that the state government would waive off the excise duty on liquor being sold to the defence personnel through the Centeen Stores Departments.

Addressing an impressive state-level rally of ex-servicemen at Katoch stadium here this afternoon, Badal said the proposed legislation would be on the pattern of a similar legislation made in case of the Non-resident Indians NRIs to safeguard their properties.

Badal also announced that the war widows of gallantry award winners, whose cases for allotment of 10 acres of land each were lying pending, would be given monetary compensation in lieu of the land by the government. He directed the concerned minister, Janmeja Singh Sekhon to ensure speedy monetary compensation to the war widows.

The Chief Minister, while stating that liquor being served through the CSD would be made excise duty free, said that the government would also consider the persistent demand of the army authorities to hand over the excise collections to the cantonment boards of Jalandhar and Ferozepur, which are currently going into the state government8217;s coffers.

Lauding the achievement of Punjabi soldiers defending the country8217;s borders during various wars, Badal said Punjab had proud recipients of four of the total 17 Param Vir Chakras PVC and two of the six Mahavir Chakras MVC awarded for valour in wars. An MVC award winner Brig Sant Singh also addressed the rally.

Saying the Centre and the state governments had not been able to do much for the welfare of the ex-servicemen, Badal said a meeting would be convened shortly with the Army officials and ex-servicemen to sort out all their problems.

He said the state government had already hiked the pension of army deserters from Rs 500 to Rs 1,500 and their widows would get Rs 2,500 from Rs 500. The Chief Minister said the government would also try to clear the backlog of vacancies against the quota of ex-servicemen in government jobs. Lt Gen Kamal Davar, GoC of 11 Corps was among those who spoke on the occasion. Badal also distributed cheques, sewing machines and tricycles to ex-servicemen on the occasion.