Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal today approved to enhance the refreshment allowance for NCC Cadets from Rs. 6 to Rs. 20 per cadet involving an additional annual expenditure of about Rs 3 crore. A decision to this effect was taken by the Chief Minister during a high level meeting with a delegation of senior officers of NCC, headed by ADG NCC Maj. Gen. PS Mander here at his residence late last evening. Mr. Badal directed the concerned department to complete all the modalities for early implementation of the decision. He further informed that state government had also enhanced Messing allowance of Associate NCC Officers (ANOs) who undergo training at various training academies from Rs. 65 to Rs. 213.The Chief Minister also directed the department to dedicate the powers to the NCC units for the rationalization of the staff at the local level as per their convenience. Considering all other demands related to the revision of rates of various allowances as approved by the Ministry of Defence Government of India, Mr. Badal assured them that state government would also implement all other revisions in respect of ANOs and NCC Cadets. He also informed that state had already allotted Rs. 1.18 crore for the recurring expenditure of NCC training academies Ropar and Malout which would be released soon. He hoped that these NCC training academies would prove to be a milestone in the history of NCC and act as a catalyst to imbibe a spirit of bravery and patriotism amongst the young cadets.
Expressing gratitude the ADG NCC Maj. Gen. PS Mander thanked Mr. Badal for the initiatives of the state government to promote NCC in the state in a big way through establishing these new NCC training centers, besides considering their all demands sympathetically. He said that till date 18 camps had been conducted and 10,000 cadets had utilized the facilities at these centres, including one National level camp conducted at Malaut. Prominent amongst those who were present in the meeting included Special Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister Mr. KJS Cheema, Secretary Education Ms. Ravneet Kaur, besides the other members of the NCC delegation DDG NCC Brigadier SJ Singh and Group Commander (Lud.) Brigadier SS Gill.