Chandigarh, October 14
In a major goodwill gesture and as an expression of honour and gratitude, the Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal today announced a special grant-in-aid of Rs.50 lac to be given to the war widows or their legal heirs, of the valiant soldiers who had laid down their lives in the 1965 and 1971 Indo-Pak wars and 1962 Indo-China war.
Disclosing this here today, a spokesperson of the Chief Minister’s Office said that a policy had been announced way back in 1975 and over 1500 war-widows who had applied in time had been allotted up to 10 acres of rural agricultural land or cash equivalent in lieu of land at the rate notified from time to time. However, there were nearly 100 cases in which the applicants, for one reason or another, failed to apply within the stipulated cut-off date. Above 100 such cases had applied till the extended cut-off date January 4, 2010.
The spokesperson further said that the residual agricultural land available for allotment was either locked up in litigation or in unauthorized possession, which rendered it practically impossible for the war widow allottees to take over possession of the land. Therefore, keeping in view the demands of war-widows and their representatives, the state government had decided to honour the remaining duly verified and deserving cases of war widows with the cash grant.
It was clarified, that as in the scheme notified before, the residual land owned by the war-widow would be taken into account on proportionate basis in calculation of the cash-grant. The grant would be payable in three half yearly installments of Rs.20 lac, Rs.15 lac and Rs.15 lac.
Elaborating further, the spokesman mentioned that the Chief Minister while approving the scheme stated that he was making this announcement with the deep sense of humility and was conscious of all the facts that this was just a token homage to the brave soldiers, who had laid down their lives in the defence of nation.
Formal Gazette notification would be issued soon after obtaining the approval of Council of Ministers and the cash-grant would be disbursed through the Directorate of Sainik Welfare in their ancestral towns and villages etc. so as to prevent any inconvenience to the war-widows, the spokesman added.
