Union Minister For Labour And Employment Bandaru Dattatreya today urged the Telangana government to focus on the welfare of the veterans in the State.
The minister paid tributes at the Kargil War Memorial at Parade Grounds in Secunderabad on the occasion of "Jai Jawan Tiranga Utsav" which he was invited to be the chief guest for.
In a short address on the occasion, Dattatreya asked the government to extend benefits like plots, loans and self-employment schemes to the ex-Servicemen.
He also urged the government to issue free bus passes to the widows of the Kargil martyrs and exempt them from toll gates fees, and allot housing sites to around 900 Kargil war veterans in 46 acres of land in Jawahar Nagar in the Ranga Reddy district.
He also asked the State government to issue a title deed to Charulatha Padmapani Acharya, wife of Kargil war hero Padmapani Acharya. Even though a plot was allotted to her in the Trimulgherry area in Secunderabad during his previous tenure as Secunderabad MP, the family of the martyr was under heavy financial burden as they wanted to construct a house at the site, he said.
The Union Minister promised that he would take up all these issues with the Telangana Chief Minister while seeking the cooperation of State Home Minister Nayani Narasimha Reddy.
Speaking on the occasion Reddy recalled the sacrifices of the Indian soldiers on the borders who braved harsh weather, fought and died to protect the nation from the enemy.
Retired Air Vice-Marshal P Prakash Rao presided over the function. Major General Pachori (Southern Commandant), Major General A B Gorthi (AVSM-VSM Seva Medal), Secunderabad Cantonment Board CEO Sujatha Gupta, Major K Prabhakar Reddy and other dignitaries were present. Several former and serving defence officials and Kargil war widows were felicitated on the occasion.