Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Sunday participated in the Shaheed Samman Diwas organised in Lansdowne, Pauri Garhwal and paid tribute to the martyrs for their heroic acts and supreme sacrifice.The Chief Minister honoured the families and dependents of the martyrs by presenting them with copper plates and robes.
He also inspected the Army band and extended his best wishes to the Army personnel. The Chief Minister paid tributes by laying a wreath at the statue of Amar Shaheed Gabbar Singh Negi at the memorial and said that it is because of immortal sons like him that the country is safe today.
CM Dhami lit a lamp in front of copper urns, filled with sacred soil from the courtyards of martyrs from various districts and offered floral tributes in memory of the brave martyrs. It is noteworthy that the sacred soil from the courtyards of the martyrs collected in these copper urns will be taken to the grand Sainya Dham (Military Shrine) being built in Dehradun.
On this occasion, the Chief Minister announced that the Sainik Vishram Griha in Kotdwar would be renovated and equipped with modern facilities to provide better services to soldiers and their families.
Common service centres would be established to provide free services by appointing veer naris and ex-servicemen in the Directorate of Sainik Welfare and the District Sainik Welfare and Rehabilitation offices.
The Chief Minister stated that almost every household in Uttarakhand has a member of a military background, and hence the state government is continuously working for the welfare of soldiers and their families.
“The ex gratia amount given to the families of martyrs has been increased from Rs 50 lakh to Rs 1 crore, while assistance of Rs 10,000 is provided for the last rites of a martyr. Soldiers are being given a 25 per cent exemption on stamp duty on land purchases,” he added.
Military Welfare Minister Ganesh Joshi stated that the Shaheed Samman Samaroh 2.0 successfully concluded in Lansdowne on Sunday. He explained that the second phase of the Yatra, which began in Dehradun on September 25, concluded in Lansdowne on Sunday.
He informed that the sacred soil from the courtyards of the remaining 71 martyrs has been brought and will be placed in the Amar Jawan Jyoti before the inauguration of the military shrine. Rajya Sabha MP Mahendra Bhatt said that Uttarakhand is not only Devbhoomi but also Veerbhoomi.
"We consider martyrs not dead but immortal heroes. The fact that we are able to breathe fresh air today is a result of the indomitable courage and sacrifice of our brave soldiers. The respect and support for soldiers and their families is a top priority for both the central and state governments," he said.