"Let us commit to creating a nation where veterans and their families thrive": IAF chief

New Delhi [India], January 14 (ANI): Indian Air Force chief Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari on Sunday recalled the contributions made by veterans of the armed forces and committed to creating a nation where veterans and their families thrive.
On the occasion of Armed Forces Veterans Day, the Air Force Chief said, "The Indian Armed Forces, one of the finest in the world, have transformed with changing times to meet the challenges across the entire spectrum of warfare. The Indian Air Force has grown from a modest fleet of four Wapiti aircraft to one of the most formidable air forces in the world."
Stating that veterans of the forces have made immense contributions in the journey of the Air Force, the Air Force Chief said, "This has been possible only through sustained efforts and yeoman services rendered by our veterans over the years. I acknowledge with gratitude the sterling contributions made by all our veterans, whose resilient spirit, leadership and vision have laid the foundation of today's Air Force."
He further mentioned the steps taken by the Air Force to look into the well-being of veterans.
"The Directorate of Air Veterans (DAV) has been assisting air veterans for some time now. IAF was the first service to set up such a directorate, and I am sanguine that the directorate will continue to provide invaluable service in the future. As part of the Digital Mission initiative of the government, the System for Pension Administration-Raksha (SPARSH) has been operationalized to usher in transparency, accountability and easy operability without the intervention of any third party between the Pension Sanction Authority, Pension Disbursing Authority and the pensioners," he said.
The Air Force chief further informed that nearly 1.85 lakh IAF pensioners have been migrated to the System for Pension Administration-Raksha (SPARSH) platform.
Emphasising the other initiatives taken for veterans, the Air Chief said, "The interest rate under the Centralised Investment Scheme for a short term of two years has been increased to 7.3 per cent which is the best option available in the market today. Financial assistance of Rs. 10,000 per month has been introduced for the Emergency Commissioned Officers as a token of gratitude for their service to the nation."
Earlier today, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh led the celebrations of the eighth Armed Forces Veterans' Day by addressing a Veterans' Rally at Air Force Station in Kanpur on Sunday. Around 1,000 ex-servicemen attended the event. The Defence Minister interacted with them and expressed heartfelt gratitude to the heroes for their selfless service to the motherland. (ANI)