CDS hails veteran for donating 2-month pension to PM-CARES Fund

Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat on Sunday hailed a veteran soldier who has donated his two months' pension to the PM-CARES Fund to combat the spread of COVID-19.

Janardan Prasad, a retired soldier from the Garhwal Rifles, has donated two months' pension to the PM-CARES Fund to fight the coronavirus pandemic.

"I am very proud of veteran Janardan Prasad. May his words echo in the minds of every veteran and serving soldier alike. This was the Army of yesteryears and this will be the Army of the future that we all aspire to serve with pride and honour," General Rawat told ANI.

Senior Army officials said that the veteran had shown the way to other ex-servicemen that money is not what soldiers vie for. He said the force was confident that there are "many more like Janardan, who will make us proud and our country is capable of coming out of every crisis if we all can take a cue from him."

The Prime Minister's Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund (PM-CARES Fund) was created on March 28 following the outbreak of COVID-19 in India.

The dedicated national fund has been set up with the primary objective of dealing with any kind of emergency or distress situation as posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, and to provide relief to the affected people.