The CM said ministers will represent the state government at their funerals, which will be held with full Army honours at their native places.
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh Wednesday announced compensation and a job to the next of kin of each of the four soldiers from the state killed in a violent face-off with the Chinese army in Ladakh.
The loss suffered by the families was immeasurable and could not be compensated with material things, but the compensation and the jobs would help alleviate some of their sufferings, said Amarinder in a statement while paying his tributes to the soldiers.
The CM said ministers will represent the state government at their funerals, which will be held with full Army honours at their native places. He directed the respective district administrations to make all arrangements befitting the occasion for receiving the bodies of the fallen soldiers.
While one family member each would be given a government job in all the four cases, the families of Naib Subedar Mandeep Singh and Naib Subedar Santnam Singh will be given Rs 12 lakh compensation each in line with the government policy on account of their married status. Mandeep hailed from Seel village of Rajpura tehsil in Patiala district, and Satnam Singh belonged to Bhoj Raj village, tehsil Gurdaspur, an official spokesperson said.
The families of the two unmarried martyrs, Sepoy Gurtej Singh of Bire Wala Dogra village, tehsil Budhladha, Mansa district, and Sepoy Gurbinder Singh, of Tholowan village in Sangrur district, will be given Rs 10 lakh each as compensation (Rs 5 lakh as ex-gratia and Rs 5 lakh in lieu of land). Sepoy Gurbinder Singh belonged to 3 Punjab regiment.
ensure sacrifice doesn’t go in vain: Sukhbir Singh Badal
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Wednesday said “the country should take appropriate steps to defend the integrity and sovereignty of India and ensure the sacrifices made by its soldiers while defending Indian Territory against intrusion by the Chinese do not go in vain”.
Terming China’s attempts to claim sovereignty over the Galwan valley in Ladakh as intolerable, the SAD president said “the country should be ready for a befitting action to ensure the Chinese do not dare to change the status quo on the India – China border again”.
“The country should send a strong message to China that such transgressions will invite retaliatory action. It should be told that there is no way India will agree to parting with even one inch of its land and that it is ready to make the highest sacrifice to protect its sovereignty,” said Sukhbir.