New Delhi, Oct 18 (PTI) Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena has approved setting up 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 LG’s secretariat said on Tuesday.
They said the estimated cost of the project will be Rs 16.69 crore, of which the central government will bear 60 per cent share while the rest will be borne by the Delhi government.
Officials said the Lt Governor also expressed “shock and pain” over “inordinate delay” in clearing the proposal by the Delhi government.
They said the proposal to establish four district soldier boards was initially cleared and sent to 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 at the LG office said.
The soldier boards are responsible for policy formulation and implementation of resettlement and welfare schemes for ex-servicemen, widows and their dependents residing 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 emanates from the 2018 report of a high-level committee established by the the central government on the problems of ex-servicemen that has recommended setting up of district soldier boards by concerned state governments, if the population of ex-servicemen and their families is more than 7,500.
Accordingly, in December 2019, in the 13th meeting of the state soldier board, it was decided to establish four district soldier boards in the city0. PTI AKM AQS
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