Gurdaspur, February 19

Senior Congress leader Parminder Gill, who had also played host to 16 MPs of the Home Ministry’s Parliamentary Standing Committee last week, has urged the state government to treat the families of the martyrs of the Pathankot attack on a par with Olympians.Addressing a press conference, Gill, who is a former chairman of the ‘kisan’ wing of the PPCC, said that the state government had not done enough for the families of Honorary Major Subedar Fateh Singh of Jhanda Gujran village and Kulwant Singh of Chak Sharif village, both of which fall in Gurdaspur district. Both were retired Army officers and were killed in the terrorist attack on the Air Force station.“I had informed the MPs of the standing committee that Rs 1 crore each should have been given to their kin. This is the same amount as is given to gold medal winners in the Olympics. Moreover, a job commensurate with the educational qualifications of the daughter of Fateh Singh should be given to her,” he said. Gill said he had urged the Defence Ministry to strengthen the present set-up of the District Sainik Welfare Boards. — TNS