LG Manoj Sinha Chairs 81st Meeting of J&K Rajya Sainik Board; Reviews Welfare of Veterans, Veer Naris, Widows

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Focus on Welfare Delivery, Grievance Redressal, Healthcare Access and Institutional Strengthening; LG Also Chairs Armed Forces Flag Day Fund Meeting

JAMMU, AUGUST 18:(KNC)Lieutenant Governor Shri Manoj Sinha today chaired the 81st Meeting of the Jammu Kashmir Rajya Sainik Board at Lok Bhavan, where detailed discussions were held on various issues concerning veterans, Veer Naris, widows and dependents of armed forces personnel.

The meeting focused on strengthening welfare delivery mechanisms, grievance redressal, healthcare facilities and institutional support for ex-servicemen and their families across Jammu and Kashmir.

The meeting was attended by Lieutenant General Pratik Sharma, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C), Northern Command; Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo; Maj Gen Paramvir Singh Dagar, Chief of Staff, HQ White Knight Corps; Maj Gen KS Dhadwal, Chief of Staff, HQ Chinar Corps; Additional Chief Secretary, Finance, Shailendra Kumar; Principal Secretary, Home, Chanderkar Bharti; Principal Secretary to the Lieutenant Governor, Dr Mandeep K. Bhandari; Principal Director, Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare, Government of India, Neena Mishra; Brig. Pankaj Chib (Retd.), Director, Sainik Welfare Department, J&K; Brig Sandeep Kaushal, Commander 21 Sub Area; Air Commodore VP Singh; Col Pradeep S. Karki, Director, DRZ (North); Brig. Virender Singh Slathia (Retd.), besides other senior officers and officials.

The Board deliberated on several important welfare-related matters, including the establishment of a Zila Sainik Welfare Office (ZSWO) at Kishtwar and strengthening coordination on pension-related issues to ensure timely resolution of grievances faced by veterans and their families.

The Lieutenant Governor reiterated his administration’s commitment to the welfare of veterans and their families, stressing that every possible step would be taken to honour their sacrifices and ensure that they receive dignity, respect and effective institutional support.

The meeting also discussed the empanelment of government hospitals with the Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) to enhance healthcare access for eligible beneficiaries. The hospitals under consideration include AIIMS Jammu, Government Medical College (GMC) Rajouri, GMC Doda and Government Hospital Kupwara.

Later, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha also chaired the State Management Committee (SMC) meeting on the Armed Forces Flag Day Fund.

The Committee examined various welfare-oriented proposals aimed at strengthening support for armed forces personnel, veterans and their families. The proposals covered medical and healthcare assistance, infrastructure development, outreach programmes, education and skill development.

Several key initiatives were also proposed, including education and career incentives, deployment of psychological counsellors in identified areas, skill-development support and strengthening of welfare infrastructure.

The deliberations underscored the administration’s continued focus on ensuring comprehensive welfare, accessible healthcare, timely grievance redressal and improved support systems for veterans, Veer Naris, widows and dependents across Jammu and Kashmir.(KNC)