Haryana to set up focal centres for NCC cadets in the State

New Delhi, Jan 24 (UNI) Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda today said Focal Centres would be set up for providing adequate facilities to the NCC Cadets for 'Communication and Personality Development' in the State.

Addressing the NCC Cadets at Republic Day Camp, Garrison Parade Ground here, he described the NCC as third line of country's security.

Mr Hooda said the unity and discipline is the main thrust of the NCC and the passion of patriotism should be imbibed in our young generation by following the ideals of NCC.

He said that the sanctioned number of NCC cadets has been increased from 28,830 to 33,530 in the State and the amount of Chief Minister Scholarship being given to cadets has also been increased from Rs 1200 to Rs 2400 per annum. The number of cadets availing this scholarship has been increased from 40 to 84 in the State.

The Chief Minister said that a sum of Rs 7 crore has been earmarked for the NCC units under the plan and non-plan budget for the year 2006-07 and steps were being taken to set up third girls battalions in Hisar, which will benefit the girl students of Hisar, Sirsa, Jind, Fatehabad and Bhiwani districts of the State. The mess allowance for them has also been increased from Rs 22 to Rs 40 and for ANO from Rs 25 to Rs 45.

On the occasion, the Director General of NCC Lt Gen Prakash S Chaudhary said that the NCC has a strength of 13 lakh cadets in the country which covers over 13,000 educational institutions from Leh to Kanyakumari and Nagaland to Gujarat.

Earlier, Mr Hooda took the salute of the parade of NCC cadets and also visited the Panorama set up by the cadets depicting rich cultural heritage and allround progress of the country. He also visited the Motivation Hall of the NCC.

UNI