Nearly 80 years since the end of the Second World War, six veterans of the conflict or their widows from Meghalaya will receive a Rs 1 lakh grant from the state government, it was announced today.
The annual ex-servicemen rally will be organised by the Headquarters 101 Area, Indian Army and Rajya Sainik Board, Meghalaya, at 58 Gorkha Training Centre, on November 24. The rally will be attended by hundreds of veterans, Veer Naris (war widows), Second World War veterans and children hailing from Meghalaya.
The rally is aimed at ex-servicemen, war veterans, disabled soldiers and war widows to express solidarity and demonstrate that they remain inseparable members of the armed forces fraternity even after retirement.
Honouring their service, the veterans/war widows of the Second World War will be presented with a onetime grant of Rs 1 lakh from the Chief Minister’s Special Grant. In addition, 10 gifts to Veer Naris and 60 gifts to ex-servicemen will also be presented.
Cabinet minister Rakkam A Sangma will be the chief guest for the event. Senior officers from the armed forces and other civil dignitaries will also be attending the rally, including Lt Gen Sanjay Malik, General Officer Commanding 101 Area.
During the rally, grievances of veterans, if any, will be resolved in situ. A number of stalls from various welfare agencies and organisations of the army will be set up at the venue with a focus to resolve pension and entitlement-related problems. A medical camp, fully staffed with specialist doctors and medicines, will also be set up to address immediate health issues.
