Govt blows the bugle after two decades’ war cry 

Wednesday’s Cabinet decision to form a full-fledged government department for Sainik Welfare is, in reality, a much-delayed acknowledgement of a demand being made by the Armed Forces for nearly two de
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THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Wednesday’s Cabinet decision to form a full-fledged government department for Sainik Welfare is, in reality, a much-delayed acknowledgement of a demand being made by the Armed Forces for nearly two decades now. Since 1998, the Armed forces have been demanding the state government to appoint a retired Brigadier-rank officer as the director of Sainik Welfare at the state level. 


A second request was the Zilla Sainik Welfare officers should be a retired officer of the rank of Colonel. Both demands will be met now with the Cabinet deciding to form a full department, senior Sainik Welfare officials said. The Cabinet has decided to approach the  Governor for making suitable amendments to the Rules of Business in this regard. Thus far, the state government has been ignoring the Armed Forces’ demand due to stiff protests from within the government system.

At present, Sainik Welfare is only a section under the General Administration Department. The last Sainik Welfare Director had been a retired Army captain, and district officers are mostly civilian staff. Despite several reminders from New Delhi, successive governments had refused to change this set-up.  More recently, the Armed Forces had raised the matter at the annual Civil-Military Liaison Conference chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in January. 


This is what the Defence Ministry’s Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare says on the composition of the Kendriya Sainik Board: “An Ex-Serviceman (Officer) of the rank of Brigadier or of equivalent ranks from the Navy or Air Force (should) be selected as director of the Department of Sainik Welfare. In case suitable officers of the rank of Brigadier or equivalent are not available, officers of the rank of Colonel or equivalent in Navy and Air Force may be selected.” 

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