Ex-servicemen Celebrate Raising Day In City

[ROUDRAM]

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[color=black][font=arial][size=3][color=black][font=arial][size=3][b]Caption: 1) ACP A.K Suresh and Latha Suresh felicitating World War-II veteran, Capt. Ponnachanda S. Chinnappa, at the Raising Day function held at The Roost hotel by Mysore Ex-servicemen Welfare Association (MEWA) on Sunday as Capt. (Retd.) Hussain and Ex-Hav P.K. Biddappa, President of the Association, look on. 2) Chief guest A.K. Suresh aiming the target-shooting with an air gun.[/b][/size][/font][/color][/size][/font][/color]
[color=black][font=arial][size=3][color=black][font=arial][size=3]Mysore, Oct. 18- The members of Mysore Ex-servicemen Welfare Association (MEWA) celebrated its first Raising Day on Oct. 16 at a function held at The Roost hotel in city.[/size][/font][/color][/size][/font][/color]
[color=black][font=arial][size=3][color=black][font=arial][size=3]During the day-long celebration, sports and games including air gun shooting, musical chair and hooking the beer bottles were organised for ex-servicemen and their families.[/size][/font][/color][/size][/font][/color]
[color=black][font=arial][size=3][color=black][font=arial][size=3]On the occasion, 98-year-old World War-II veteran, Capt. Ponnachanda S. Chinnappa, who had been granted with a Viceroy Commission in 1945, was felicitated for his meritorious 31-year-long service in the Indian Army and for actively participating in World War II at Rangoon, Indo-Pak wars in 1965 and 1971.[/size][/font][/color][/size][/font][/color]
[color=black][font=arial][size=3][color=black][font=arial][size=3]Another 80-year-old Army veteran Muruvanda Achaiah was also felicitated for having participated in the Indo-Pak war in 1965 and 1971.[/size][/font][/color][/size][/font][/color]
[color=black][font=arial][size=3][color=black][font=arial][size=3]Ex-Hav P.K. Biddappa, President of the Association, said that exchanging views, fostering bro-therhood and bonhomie amongst ex-servicemen besides cherishing the memories of the Armed Forces service was among the objectives of the Association.[/size][/font][/color][/size][/font][/color]
[color=black][font=arial][size=3][color=black][font=arial][size=3]Exposing maladministration in the Department of Sainik Welfare and Resettlement by the officials at District levels to the higher authorities in the State and Central Government for corrective action and making the Sainik Welfare Department to work with the required degree of efficiency for the welfare of Ex-servicemen and widows of Ex-servicemen is the main objective, he said.[/size][/font][/color][/size][/font][/color]
[color=black][font=arial][size=3][color=black][font=arial][size=3]Biddappa also said that the Sainik Welfare Fund of Rs. 30 crores generated through sale of Armed Forces flags to general public and school children during Armed Forces Flag Day celebrations in the past is being mismanaged by the officials of Sainik Welfare Dept. by investing Rs. 7.17 crores fund in term deposits in private banks, contrary to the Karnataka financial code and the rest in various public sector banks splitting the amount into Rs. 50 lakh each 150 to 300 kms away from Bangalore without any valid reason.[/size][/font][/color][/size][/font][/color]
[color=black][font=arial][size=3][color=black][font=arial][size=3]He further said, though this Rs. 30 crore is termed as 'Sainik Welfare Fund' it is not being used for any tangible Sainik Welfare purpose but is being used for earning negligible interest without realising that the value of the money keeps losing its real value each day.[/size][/font][/color][/size][/font][/color]
[color=black][font=arial][size=3][color=black][font=arial][size=3]He assured the ex-servicemen that he would take up the subject with the Govt. of Karnataka along with other ex-servicemen associations to impress upon the Govt. to utilise this Rs. 30 crore for the purpose it is meant.[/size][/font][/color][/size][/font][/color]
[color=black][font=arial][size=3][color=black][font=arial][size=3]He also said that ulterior motives in investing this huge corpus in bits and pieces in various banks throughout the State illogically by the officials for some petty personal benefits cannot be ruled out since the interest rate in all the nationalised banks are the same.[/size][/font][/color][/size][/font][/color]
[color=black][font=arial][size=3][color=black][font=arial][size=3]Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) A.K Suresh, who was the chief guest, said that military veterans should try to help themselves by exchanging their knowledge and information concerning the various welfare schemes floated by the State Govt. for the welfare of Ex-servicemen and further said the younger ex-servicemen should help the old and infirm ex-servicemen and their families in times of their need.[/size][/font][/color][/size][/font][/color]
[color=black][font=arial][size=3][color=black][font=arial][size=3]Suresh also advised the Ex-servicemen fraternity to advise their friends and relatives who are still in uniform to cultivate the habit of saving their hard-earned salary while in services and plan for their resettlement in civil life after their retirement from the Armed Forces.[/size][/font][/color][/size][/font][/color]
[color=black][font=arial][size=3][color=black][font=arial][size=3]He opined that the parents, the dependent brothers and sisters should be helped financially at times by the Armed Forces personnel while in uniform but should not neglect their own future by being too generous while in service. Housing, schooling of children and finding a suitable employment after retiring from the Armed Forces at a very young age would be the major challenge to the ex-servicemen after they hang up their uniform, he cautioned.[/size][/font][/color][/size][/font][/color]
[color=black][font=arial][size=3][color=black][font=arial][size=3]The chief guest suggested the ex-servicemen associations in Mysore city under different banners to unite themselves and project their problems to the concerned authorities with possible solutions to get their problems resolved as per the prevailing policies.[/size][/font][/color][/size][/font][/color]
[color=black][font=arial][size=3][color=black][font=arial][size=3]Capt. (Retd.) Hussain, who was the guest of honour, presided, said Ex-servicemen should try to get every facility and benefit that is extended by the Govt. under various welfare schemes floated by the Govt. from time to time.[/size][/font][/color][/size][/font][/color]
[color=black][font=arial][size=3][color=black][font=arial][size=3]Latha Suresh distributed prizes to the winners in various competitions. Veteran K.L. Ganesh welcomed. Veteran Percy D’Souza proposed a vote of thanks.[/size][/font][/color][/size][/font][/color]