Pune: A Veer Naris Sammelan (war widows gathering) was held at Pune under the aegis of Headquarters Southern Command on Saturday as an outreach programme for Veer Naris of Pune district as a part of Kargil Vijay Diwas celebrations.
The gathering was inaugurated by Dr Suman Soni, Regional President, Army Wives Welfare Association (AWWA), Southern Command. While addressing the war widows, Dr Soni said, “This event is a small step by Southern Command to express our gratitude to our valiant martyrs who had laid down their lives and to establish a connect with the Veer Naris of Pune district.”
The gathering, organised at Dhanvantri Auditorium, Armed Forces Medical College, Wanowrie, was attended by over 200 Veer Naris with their family members. Efforts were made to make the event fruitful for the Veer Naris by organising informative talks on various schemes and facilities being provided by the Indian Army and the governments at Centre and the State, by the representatives of Zilla Sainik Board, Pune; Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme, State Bank of India (SBI) and Placement Node, Pune. Representatives of record offices of Maratha Light Infantry, Regiment of Artillery, Corps of Engineers and Armoured Corps were also present during the event to address the issues pertaining to documentation and anomalies in the disbursement of pension and other financial benefits to the Veer Naris.
A medical camp was organised to address the health-related issues of Veer Naris. Apart from routine check-ups by various specialist doctors, screening for cervical cancer and breast cancer was also carried out.
“Felicitation of the Veer Naris was done by Dr Soni, as a gratitude for the sacrifices made by them and their husbands in the line of duty. She also interacted with a large number of Veer Naris to understand the problems that they face and tried to resolve their issues pertaining to pensions, jobs etc with the help of various representatives who had established stalls for addressing these issues at the site of the gathering. This solemn event marked the culmination of the Kargil Vijay Diwas celebrations with a message for all Veer Naris that we are there for you at all times,” a statement from defence PRO stated.
