Tributes paid to martyred CRPF jawans

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 21

All retired officers of the Central Armed Police Forces Association (North India), Chandigarh, serving senior officers and men of the Central Reserve Police Force paid tributes to the 40 jawans martyred in the Pulwama terror attack on February14, at the CRPF Headquarters here today.

The Retired Officers Association raised the demand for the establishment of the Ardh Sainik Welfare Board in Punjab and all states. It was also highlighted that paramilitary jawans should be given the status of ‘Shaheed’ (martyr) on the lines of Army soldiers.

With 32,097 personnel of paramilitary forces dead till December 2018, no martyr status has been given to them by the Central Government. To press the demand for ‘Shaheed’ status, an ‘Adhikar rally’ will be organised by the retired paramilitary personnel on February 24 at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi.

KJS Cheema, IG (retd) BSF and chairman, CAPF Retired Officers Association (North), paid tributes to the departed souls. Amarjit Singh Sidhu, IG (retd), CRPF, and president, CAPF Retired Officers Association (North India), also paid tributes to the martyred jawans.