Gurugram: The BJP government in Haryana Wednesday announced a 10 percent reservation for Agniveers in police, jails and mining guard jobs. The move comes just months ahead of the state assembly elections due in October.
At a press conference in Chandigarh, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini also announced 5 percent reservation for Agniveers in Group C government posts, and 1 percent in Group B jobs. Additionally, there will be a three-year age limit relaxation for both Group C and Group D posts. For the first batch of Agniveers, this age relaxation will be five years.
Moreover, interest-free loans of up to Rs 5 lakh will be provided to those who wish to start their own businesses.
In a message posted on X, Saini said, “The Haryana government has taken several significant steps for the welfare of Agniveers. From government recruitment to private industries, their interests will be well taken care of. Agniveers will receive a 10% horizontal reservation in the recruitment for positions such as constables, mining guards, forest guards, jail wardens, and SPOs.”
Agniveers will also get a 5 percent horizontal reservation in Group C civil posts and 1 percent in Group B posts. Industrial units paying Agniveers a salary above Rs 30,000 per month will receive an annual subsidy of Rs 60,000 from the government.
In another post on X, Saini wrote that the Haryana government is “leading in the welfare of Agniveers”.
“In line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s policies, we prioritise the interests of farmers and soldiers. Agniveers will receive interest-free loans of up to Rs 5 lakh for starting small businesses. They will also be given priority for arms licenses. Those seeking deployment in government departments, boards, or corporations will be given priority based on their matrix score,” the post further said.
हरियाणा सरकार अग्निवीरों के कल्याण में सबसे आगे बढ़कर काम कर रही है।प्रधानमंत्री श्री @narendramodi जी की नीतियों के अनुरूप किसान और जवान का हम प्राथमिकता के आधार पर ख्याल रख रहे हैं।
अब अग्निवीर द्वारा कोई भी लघु उद्योग स्थापित करने पर 5 लाख तक के लोन की ब्याज रहित सहायता… pic.twitter.com/dVkw4jz52Z
— Nayab Saini (@NayabSainiBJP) July 17, 2024
The Agnipath scheme was introduced in 2022 by the Centre. Under it, people aged between 17-and-a-half and 21 are recruited as soldiers (Agniveers) in the three armed forces for a period of four years. They don’t have any pension entitlement, and only 25 percent are retained after they complete their service duration.
Upon its introduction, the scheme didn’t go down well with many and sparked nationwide protests, with critics highlighting the uncertain future for those leaving after four years of service.
During the Lok Sabha polls, the Opposition had stepped up its attack on the BJP over the scheme, and it had become a major flashpoint in Haryana and neighbouring Rajasthan.
In Haryana, the Congress and the INLD opposed the scheme and the results of the parliamentary elections showed that the BJP’s performance suffered in regions with high defence recruitment not just in Haryana but also in Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.
The latest session of Parliament saw a debate on compensation to Agniveers who die in the line of duty, with the Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi alleging that a fallen Agniveer’s family did not get compensation. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had then rebutted his claims and said that Rs 1 crore was paid to the families of fallen Agniveers.
Contacted by ThePrint, Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda however said that people wanted a complete rollback of the Agnipath scheme.
“When the Centre announced a quota for Agniveers in the central forces, I said that it had no meaning because reservation for ex-servicemen was already there. Now, the Haryana government has repeated it. But people of Haryana demand that the Agnipath scheme should be taken back and youth recruited to the armed forces should be allowed to complete their tenure as it was before 2022,” he added.
(Edited by Gitanjali Das)
Also Read: ‘What if I die or become disabled?’ In UP ‘village of jawans’, few want to join Army as Agniveer