Punjab relaxed rules to give government jobs to family of 3 soldiers killed in Ladakh (Representation)
Chandigarh:
The Punjab cabinet on Wednesday relaxed the rules to give government jobs to the married siblings of three soldiers killed in Ladakh’s Galwan Valley in June this year.
While two of them were killed fighting Chinese troops, the third soldier died while patrolling near a river near the Real Line of Control (LAC).
According to a statement, the decision was taken at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Amarinder Singh in recognition of the supreme sacrifice made by Sepoy Gurtej Singh, Sepoy Gurbinder Singh and Lance Naik Saleem Khan.
According to the rules in force, only dependent family members or the closest of the family are assigned government jobs in such cases.
But in the case of the three soldiers, because no dependent family members existed, the government decided to make an exception and give jobs to their married brothers, the statement said.
A spokesperson for the chief minister’s office said the brothers of the three soldiers had applied for a state service appointment although they did not fall under the definition of “dependent war hero members”.
The spokesperson said under existing policy, a dependent member is defined as a widow or a dependent wife or son or unmarried dependent daughter or adopted dependent son or adopted unmarried daughter.
In the case of a single “war hero”, one of his or her unmarried dependent single siblings is eligible for nomination under the policy, the spokesperson said.
Sepoys Gurtej Singh and Gurbinder Singh were among the soldiers killed fighting Chinese troops in the Galwan Valley in Ladakh. The other Punjab soldiers killed in shock were Naib Subedar Mandeep Singh and Naib Subedar Satnam Singh.
Lance Naik Saleem Khan had died on June 25 while patrolling near a river near the line of actual control.
These deaths are usually declared victims of the battle by the army headquarters, and their next family member is granted financial aid and government jobs.
But of those five soldiers, three were not married at the time of their deaths, the statement said.
