Dharamshala: Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh laid the foundation stone of the H.P War Museum at War Memorial, Dharamshala. While addressing the gathering Singh said that the valiant soldiers of Himachal Pradesh had always led from the front in making sacrifices for the cause of the nation and they had brought laurels to the country and the State as well.
Virbhadra Singh said that the State government had proposed to enhance financial assistance of World War-II Veterans from Rs. 750 to Rs. 2,000 per month and annuity of gallantry award winners would also be increased from Rs. 3,000 to Rs. 5,000. He said that the the Samman Rashi of wives and daughters of late freedom fighters would be enhanced from Rs. 3,500 to Rs. 5,000 and marriage grant to Rs, 51,000 in case of daughters and Rs. 21,000 in case of grand-daughters. The government had also announced to enhance the funeral grant from Rs. 5,000 to Rs. 15,000 in case of death of freedom fighters and Rs. 10,000 in case of death of the wives of late freedom fighters.
Virbhadra Singh said that initial allocation of Rs. 2 Crore had already been promised in the budget as a token amount for the establishment of War Museum at Dharamshala. The government would provide more financial assistance for making it a splendid building for which the help of army expertise would also be taken. The brief description of all the martyrs since British period would be highlighted in the museum and it would be a center of attraction to the visiting tourists and a source of inspiration for the coming generations.
Col. Jai Ganesh, Chairman, State War Memorial Committee and H.P Martyr Society, Urban Development Minister Sudhir Sharma, Kewal Singh Pathania, Vice Chairman, H.P State Forest Corporation, T.G Negi, Advisor to the Chief Minister, Balbeer Tegta, Chairman, H.P Board of School Education, C.Palrasu, Deputy Commissioner, Manoj Rana, Deputy Director, Sainik Welfare, District Kangra, Col. Y. S. Rana, General Secretary, Ex-Services League, ex-servicemen and other prominent persons of the town were present on the occasion.
