War widows and their kin have been on the warpath over their demands. Tribune file photo

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 18

Providing relief to war widows, dependants and differently abled soldiers who were struggling for decades to get allotted promised land, CM Capt Amarinder Singh today approved a policy to grant them cash in lieu of the land.An official spokesperson said entitled persons would get a grant of Rs 5 lakh in lieu of one acre of land up to a maximum of Rs 50 lakh for 10 acres. The policy will be applicable to widows and dependents as well as differently abled soldiers from the 1962 and 1965 wars with China and Pakistan and to widows of the 1971 war with Pakistan.As a welfare measure, the Punjab Government had a policy to allocate up to 10 acres of land free of cost to the aforementioned individuals. But over the years, scarcity of land, red-tapism and bureaucratic indifference had affected the scheme.Defence Services Welfare Department officials said there are 161 cases pending where land has not been allocated. Of these, 125 have been fully verified by the department for grant of monetary relief and another 20 were in the process of being finalised.

Punjab CM approves cash grant for war widows in place of land

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh. File photo

Chandigarh, July 18

Conceding a long pending demand, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Tuesday approved a policy change allowing cash grants instead of land for war widows.The policy change will be applicable to dependents of martyred soldiers, besides permanently disabled soldiers of 1962 Indo-China War, 1965 Indo-Pak War and widows of 1971 Indo-Pak War.An official spokesperson of the chief minister’s office said that Singh had approved a grant of Rs 5 lakh in lieu of one acre of land up to a maximum of Rs 50 lakh for 10 acres, as per individual eligibility.The chief minister also directed the sainik welfare department to expedite the disbursement of the cash to provide the war widows with the much-needed relief, the spokesperson said.He added that the chief minister has reiterated his commitment to the welfare of the war widows, as well as ex-servicemen.Amarinder Singh has started connecting with all the war widows and ex-servicemen in the state on a personal basis through Demi-Official letters, the spokesperson said.The chief minister has also set up a special ex- serviceman cell in his office to look into various issues concerning them. He has also directed the civil and police officials to extend full respect, assistance and recognition to ex-servicemen in the state, the spokesperson said. — PT