Pune: The Sainik
Welfare Department of Maharashtra (SWDM) has conducted an inquiry against Zilla Sainik Welfare
Officer (ZSWO) for not
attending the funeral of two
soldiers, who were killed in the line of action in Jammu and Kashmir in April and August.
According to sources, it is mandatory for ZSWO to attend the funeral of soldiers and provide monetary help to the family of the deceased on the day of the funeral.
The inquiry was initiated when an Akola-based retired solidier, Ramratan Budukle, secretary of Amar Jawan ex-servicemen organization, registered a complained in this regard with the SWDM a few months ago.
Speaking to TOI over the phone, Budukle said, "It was unfortunate that ZSWO, who himself is an ex-army officer, did not attend the martyr's funeral and also failed to provide financial assistance to the family."
A senior official from the SWDM, who didn't wish to divulge his identity, told TOI, "After receiving the complaint, the department had to initiate an inquiry into the case. We have recorded the ZSWO's statement. Based on that, we compiled a detailed report, which has been submitted to the state government for further action."
When contacted, the director of SWDM, Colonel Suhas Jatkar (retd), said, "We are aware of the complaint but I would not like to offer any comment on the matter at this juncture."
Lieutenant Nitin Pande (retd), who is currently ZSWO of Chandrapur and was posted in Akola during the time of the incident, told TOI, "I could not attend the funeral as I was posted at Chandrapur. Akola district was given as an additional responsibility to me. The distance between Chandrapur and Akola is about 400 km and there was no transport facility available during that time. However, I had sent my staff to provide assistance to the family."
Pande alleged that a group of officials from the SWDM is deliberately maligning his image as he had raised concerns over certain issues related to the department in the past.
Meanwhile, sources from the department are of the opinion that the government should fill the vacancies at the earliest. "The state has a sizeable number of personnel in the Indian armed forces. As a result, it is imperative to have dedicated ZSWO in each district in the state to help ex-servicemen. The state government has not been able to fill up the vacancies for the past few years due to various reasons," a senior official from the department said.
