Promised in 2016, sainik board office yet to come up

Our Correspondent

Nurpur, December 10

In the wake of persistent demand of ex-Army men hailing from lower Kangra areas comprising Nurpur, Jawali, Fatehpur and Indora subdivisions, the previous Virbhadra Singh government had announced in 2016 that the Sainik Welfare Board’s sub-office would function permanently at Nurpur.

The then Social Justice, Empowerment and Sainik Welfare Minister Col Dhani Ram Shandil had announced the office on May 26, 2016, while presiding over the meeting of the local Congress cell of ex-servicemen.

However, the announcement has remained only on paper and the government has failed to fulfil its minister’s announcement. No steps have been taken to ensure that the sub-office of the Sainik Welfare Board start functioning. Resentment is brewing among thousands of ex-Armymen and their families over the non-fulfillment of the promise made by the minister of the previous Congress government.

Col NS Pathania (retd), president of the Ex-servicemen League, Nurpur, said at present, the Himachal Pradesh Sainik Welfare Board had its headquarters at Hamirpur and had deputed one retired subedar as the Soldier Welfare Officer (SWO), who was basically attached to the zonal office of the board at Dharamsala.

“This temporary camping arrangement of the SWO is eyewash as it fails to serve the ex-servicemen in the area. No schedule of camping of the SWO is available to the ex-servicemen or their families who visit the office for queries or pension-related jobs,” he said.