DGR scouting new areas for resettlement of defence personnel

Bangalore, Jan 8 (UNI) In a bid to create better living standards for retiring service persons, the Defence Ministry is initiating them to newer areas ranging from Information Technology to Tourism, Director General Resettlement (DGR) Maj Gen Harwant Krishan said today.

Speaking to reporters after inaugurating a PG certificate course in Management for senior officers of Armed Forces at IIM-B here, he said the DGR was looking at IT sector in Karnataka and other States, which had attracted world IT majors.

''In such a new venture, we have introduced ex-servicemen in Kerala to hospitality industry by offering home stay facilities.

These personnel are now letting a portion of their homes to tourists in God's Own Country. As many as 120 such guest rooms are already being offered and the DGR is helping them to get clients through its website,'' he said.

Maj Gen Krishan said armed forces could offer varied talent in 250 trades, ranging from carpenters to rocket scientists. The training course such as the one launched in association with IIM-B today, had proved to be highly successful. Similar courses were held in the IIMs at Ahmedabad, Lucknow and Indore. During the last one year, 177 officers had undergone training and most of them had landed high paying jobs with salaries ranging from Rs 7.5 lakh to Rs 15 lakh per annum, he added.

He said the State and Zila Sainik Boards were being rejuvenated to offer better welfare measures to the ex-servicemen by DGR, which laid down the policies and schemes for resettlement of retiring and retired ex-servicemen fraternity, widows of martyrs and their dependents.

At present, there were 24 lakh ex-servicemen in the country, in which widows' population was over 4.2 lakh. On an average, 60,000 Armed Forces personnel retired every year that included about 3,000 officers. To maintain the youthful profile of armed forces, early release/retirement had been restored.

The emphasis was also on self-employment ventures, both in cottage industry as well as in agriculture sector, apart from the fast growing insurance and service sector, he added.

UNI