Date:27/07/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/07/27/stories/2007072757000300.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Medak’s ex-servicemen: a forgotten lot?

J.B.S.Umanadh

861 soldiers from the district served the nation

Ex-servicemen can utilise welfare schemes like Prime Minister’s Rozgar Yojana
They can avail Mahindra and Mahindra tractors at concessional rates from CSD canteens

SANGAREDDY: Soldier P.Vijay Kumar of Madras regiment, a native of Siroor village in Raikod mandal died fighting terrorists in Thela Pera of Jammu and Kashmir during operation Rakshak -1. Gunner Rajaniker Reddy of Khata in Siddipet mandal breathed his last, fighting terrorists in Hanjosh of J&K in operation Rakshak-3.

These two brave men are part of 861 soldiers of the district that served the nation. While 695 men served the army, 124 retired from the Indian Air force and 39 from the Indian Navy.

While Sangareddy mandal tops in the number of men it has sent to war, Dhanasiri village in Zaheerabad mandal has the maximum number of its sons in the Indian armed forces.

Land pending

Unfortunately the services and the sacrifices of the ex-service men have been forgotten.

According to G.Pochaiah, secretary of the District Ex-servicemen Welfare Association, the State Government had promised land to the men in uniform but sadly this promise still remained a promise though four years had elapsed.

Pochaiah pointed out that G.O. Ms. 92 assured the ex-servicemen, house sites not less than 300 square yards over and above 5 acres of dry or 2.5 acres of wetland under G.O. Ms. 743 within one year of retirement or death.

He pointed out that except war widow Yaseen Bee, the wife of Sepoy Mohammad Yusuf who lost his life during the Chinese aggression in 1962, none of the recent war victims have received the assured benefits, leave alone ex-service men who are alive.

Jobs in private sector

Speaking to The Hindu, the Zilla Sainik welfare hope officer P. Nageswara Rao said that his office through its

efforts could fetch jobs to ex-service men in the banking and security sectors, despite they having a reservation of 2 percent in Government jobs. He said that ex-servicemen could also utilise welfare programmes like the Prime Minister’s Rozgar Yojana and ‘Jai Jawan se Jai Kisan’ programme offered by Mahindra and Mahindra tractors.

Tractors manufactured by this company could be availed at concession rates from the CSD canteens.