NAHARLAGUN, Mar 5: The Ex-Servicemen Association of Arunachal Pradesh (ESMAAP) lamented that the Directorate of Sainik Welfare and Rajya Sainik Board (DSW&RSB) in the state has not been created yet despite the governor himself being the chief patron of the ex-servicemen (ESM) of the state.
Addressing a meeting here on Thursday, ESMAAP general secretary, retired captain Mimar Ete, said the file for creation of the DSW&RSB has been languishing in the finance department since 2018 despite the governor himself being the chief patron of the ESM in the state.
“Better compassion for fellow veterans of Arunachal Pradesh is warranted,” he said.
Ete lamented that Arunachal is the only state in the country without a Rajya Sainik Board.
He further said that the APSSB and the central government failed to honour the quota reserved for the ESM as given by the Centre vide the Ex-Servicemen Rule 1979 & 2016-17 Resettlement of Ex-Servicemen Rules & Regulation issued by the central department of personnel & training (DoPT).
ASMAAP assistant general secretary, retired naik Likha Tagu, presented a brief on the association’s efforts to establish the directorate to look after the grievances and welfare of the veterans, ESM, veer naris, widows and NOKs.
He highlighted the relevant pages of the Ex-Servicemen Rule 1979 & 2016-17 Resettlement of Ex-Servicemen Rules & Regulation issued by the DoPT, and lamented that the APSSB and the state government “are not honouring the laid down rules and regulations.”
Retired wing commander Gyati Kago encouraged the veterans, ESMs, veer naris, widows and NOKs to keep their morale high “and live life with full dignity and honour.”
He informed that a meeting had been held on 16 October, 2019, chaired by the chief secretary and attended by an officer from the Kendriya Sainik Board, “wherein commitment was given by the CS on behalf of state government to create the SW&RSB directorate on or before March this year.”
“The same must be pursued vigorously,” he advised.
He said the ESMAAP would pursue the matter of employment of ex-servicemen by the state as laid down vide the Centre’s Ex-Servicemen Rule 1979 and 2016-17 Resettlement of Ex-Servicemen Rules & Regulation.
