Sainik
Welfare Department
Introduction
In 1919, the District Soldiers,
Sailors & the Boards were established by the British
Government in all the states for the purpose of looking
after welfare of Ex-army personnel demobilized after the
First Great War. The District Boards used to be headed by
the Secretary at the District level. The District Soldiers,
Sailor's & Airmen's Board continued to work for the
ex-servicemen's welfare for a number of years even after
Independence of the country in 1947. During the year 1972,
these Boards were re-designated as Zila Sainik Boards and
placed under the control of the Deputy commissioner of the
District, who is the President of the Zila Sainik Board.
The administrative control of the Rajya Sainik Board and
the Zila Sainik Boards used to be with the Chief Secretary
to Govt. Punjab. In the year 1983, the Secretaries of the
Zila Sainik Boards were re-designated as District Sainik
Welfare Officers with the status of a Class-I Officer. With
the increase in welfare activities for ex-servicemen and
introduction of various welfare schemes after Indo-Pak War
of 1965 & 1971, the work load increased fast both with
the Rajya Sainik Boards and Zila Sainik Boards. Keeping
all these factors in view, the Government decided to establish
separate Directorate of Sainik Welfare Punjab, in the year
1984. The establishment of such a Directorate was also recommended
by the Revitalization Committee constituted by the Government
of India for strengthening the Zila Sainik Boards and
Rajya Sainik Boards.
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