War widows stage dharna outside CM residence
Wednesday, 28/09/2016
http://epaper.dailypostindia.com/Details.aspx?id=165738&boxid=58405&uid=&dat=2016-09-28
Chandigarh : Having exhausted all other options, widows of 1962, 1965 and 1971 war martyrs on Tuesday sat on a dharna outside Punjab CM’s house at Chandigarh, to press for their long-pending demands with the state government.
However, the protesters alleged that the initially Badal government made tall promises to provide a piece of land of 10 acres. Neither any land allotted to them nor any other financial benefit has been given according to the promises.
A protester said that as many as 161 families were affected from tall claims of the government and left in the lurch. She added that despite having the tag of war widows, they were not able to avail the benefits claimed by state government.
While briefing the media, protester said that around 1,500 families had received the 10 acre land, whereas the families which were not aware about the process to avail the benefits were left in the middle.
Gursewak Singh, who lost his father Pyara Singh in the 1965 India-Pakistan war, is running from pillar-to-post to get financial justice. He said that the protest should not be politicised but their “pending pension and other promised assurances be given to them.”
Another protester, Gurmeet Singh, a resident of Sangrur, who had lost his father in 1971 war, said that he worked as a daily wager and even washed utensils to earn a livelihood waiting that someday he would be given the promised 10-acre land. He added that despite writing letters and raising their issue time and again, all they hear is that the government is yet to clear 160-odd cases of war widows residing in Punjab.
Meanwhile, the State Ex-servicemen Welfare Association (SEWA), Punjab, has extended their support to the protesting widows.
