GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 19th Oct. Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena has approved the establishment of four zila sainik boards or district soldier boards in as many districts of the national capital, a move that will benefit about 77,000 ex-servicemen and their families, officials at the LG’s secretariat said on Tuesday.
The estimated cost of the project is Rs 16.69 crore, of which the central government will bear 60% and the Delhi government will bear the remainder.
According to officials, the Lt Governor also expressed “shock and pain” over the Delhi government’s “inordinate delay” in clearing the proposal.
They said, the proposal to establish four district soldier boards was approved and sent to the Delhi government by the then-LG in 2019.
“The file to this effect, which originated in 2019, was cleared by a Cabinet decision after almost two and a half years in May, 2022 and sent to the LG after being duly signed by the chief minister as late as on September 27 this year,” an official said.
The soldier boards are in charge of developing policies and implementing resettlement and welfare programs for ex-servicemen, widows, and their dependents who live in their respective states, union territories, and districts.
“LG V K Saxena, who is also the president of the Rajya Sainik Board, has approved the setting up of four Zila Sainik Boards (ZSBs) in the NCT of Delhi. Districts where these boards will be set up include South-West, East/Shahdara, North-West and Central/New Delhi. Each ZSB will have a team of 10 officials. These boards will cater to the resettlement and rehabilitation needs of the ex-servicemen,” an official said.
He said the move will benefit about 77,000 ex-servicemen, their widows and their families in Delhi.
The decision stems from the 2018 report of a high-level committee established by the central government to address the problems of ex-servicemen, which recommended that concerned state governments establish district soldier boards if the population of ex-servicemen and their families exceeds 7,500.
As a result, at the 13th meeting of the state soldier board in December 2019, it was decided to establish four district soldier boards in the city.
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