Punjab govt increases outlay for ex-servicemen’s welfare by 70%

The Punjab Government has increased the outlay for the welfare of defence service personnel by 70 per cent for the 2025-26 fiscal. An allocation of Rs 63.08 crore has been made for this purpose, compared to the revised estimate of Rs 37.19 crore in the current fiscal and Rs 31.77 crore for the 2023-24 fiscal.

A significant portion of this allocation will go towards providing ex-gratia to the next of kin of soldiers killed or disabled while on active service. A provision of Rs 38.50 crore has been made for 2025-26, compared to Rs 14.31 crore in the current fiscal and Rs 9.93 crore in 2023-24.

The state government runs various welfare schemes and rehabilitation projects for ex-servicemen, defence widows, and their dependents. These initiatives include financial assistance, grants, ex-gratia payments, and allowances for gallantry award recipients and youth from the state joining the armed forces as officers.

Sainik School at Kapurthala has been allocated Rs 5 crore for 2025-26, up from Rs 3 crore in the current and previous fiscal years. Additionally, provisions have been made for several other projects, including expansion and maintenance of war memorial complexes in Amritsar and Ludhiana, and construction of new Sainik rest houses.

Notably, allocations and proposals for defence services welfare were not mentioned in the Finance Minister’s budget speech this year.