Defence personnel preferred by corporates

Hyderabad, Apr 20 (UNI) The corporates -- both domestic and multinationals -- were coming forward to recruit more and more retiring defence personnel, Director General Resettlement Maj Gen Harwant Krishan said today.

After undergoing a six-month course organised in collaboration with leading Management Institutes in the country, retiring officers above the rank of Brigadier were getting placements for a salary in the range of Rs 10 to 25 lakhs both within and outside the country, he told reporters here. As many as 900 retiring personnel were pursuing business administration course every year, he added.

In keeping with the undertaking given to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to find jobs for about 30,000 defence personnel this year, the DGR had ensured jobs for as many as 7800 retiring personnel from the Army, Navy and Air Force in the corporate sector, he informed, adding that he was sending report every three months to the Prime Minister's office, who had designated 2007 as the ''year for placement to ex-servicemen''.

For the first time in the country, the Bihar Government had recruited as many as 5000 constables for Special Auxiliary police force.

The booming Information Technology sector, Insurance sector and hospitality indsutry, among other sectors were being tapped for providing second career to the armed force personnel, he said.

The DGR was organising as many as 800 courses in various vocations and conducting special programmes to develop entrepreneurial skills of retiring defence personnel to run tiny, small and medium enterprises, he added.

Coal Transport companies, toll plazas on the National Highways and CNG stations in Delhi, Mother Dairy milk booths and Safal Fruits and Vegetable stalls in Delhi were being fully managed by ex-servicemen, he informed.

Earlier addressing the retiring personnel, he asked them to get mentally prepared for a second career, instead of returning home for a retired life.

Presently 19.8 lakh ex-servicemen, including 4.2 lakh widows, were being taken care of by the DGR.

UNI