Tamil Nadu Government today announced several welfare measures for ex-servicemen, including a manifold increase in the grant for families who send their only child to the armed forces.
Finance Minister O Panneerselvam informed the state Assembly that the annual grant of Rs 750 to such families was being enhanced to Rs 20,000 besides a silver medal.
The grant will include Rs 25,000 and a silver medal for those who send more than one ward of theirs to the armed forces. It was presently Rs 1,000.
He announced a grant of Rs one lakh for the wards of ex-servicemen who join the armed forces as Permanent Commissioned Officers through NDA/IMA and the Naval or Air Force Academy. Those joining as Short Commissioned Officers and Junior Commissioned Officers and others will receive Rs 50,000 and Rs 25,000, respectively, he added.
He also proposed doubling the marriage assistance for daughters of war widows and ex-servicemen whose disability was 50 per cent and above from Rs 25,000.
Further, he proposed a Migrants Resources Centre here for the welfare of non-resident Tamils and sanctioned Rs one crore as revolving fund to transport the mortal remains of deceased non-resident Tamils and for repatriation of Tamil nationals in distress and 'medical invalidation.
