Driving Naari Programme launched in Chandigarh
Chandigarh, February 15: The former Punjab Congress President Mr Partap Singh Bajwa today strongly condemned the Chief Minister Mr Parkash Singh Badal for ignoring the family of the martyr Capt Ashwani Kumar who was on duty on Siachen glacier as the avalanche struck the area.
“The men deployed on Siachen that is the highest battlefield in the world in every sense of the term perform the toughest job as sentinels to maintain round the clock security in this strategic region. They don’t have to just engage the enemy but also fight against the nature. The government just can’t be so callous as to ignore their sacrifices that way Mr Badal has treated Patiala based family of Capt Ashwani Kumar”, he added.
Capt Ashwani Kumar died on November 13 as an avalanche struck the patrol party of which he was the part. While 15 other soldiers were rescued, he could not be saved. The Chief Minister visited the house on November 21 and handed over a cheque for Rs 5 lakh with the promise to provide more help. However, the family is still waiting.
Mr Bajwa pointed out that the family was comparatively poor and in need of help. The state government had announced Rs 10 lakh as financial help and free education to the younger brother of the martyr by way of meeting all his expenses. However, the case seems to have lost somewhere in the files of the government which claims to implement governance reforms to speech up decision making.
He said the governments, both at the centre and in the states, should give first priority to taking care of such families of the martyrs that had little means to support themselves as it was the responsibility and not just duty of the nation to take care of martyrs rather than trying to exhibit patriotism through just sloganeering.
He promised to give top priorities to such families with the Congress forming the government in February 2017 Assembly elections in Punjab.
