PUNE: The state government will soon provide five-acre agriculture land to women whose husbands have died in the line of duty while serving for the armed forces and the paramilitary forces.
Additional chief secretary Praveen Pardeshi on Saturday told TOI: “A notification to this effect was issued to all collectorates in the state last week. The collectors have to implement the scheme with the help of district welfare officers of department of Sainik welfare (DSW).”

According to the notification, the collector has to allot land for agricultural purpose — free of occupancy price, without auction — to the widow or legal heir of such soldier or officer who was domiciled in the state and died while in action. While making such land allotment, there will be no income limit for the widow or the legal heir.

A section of veterans were of the opinion that the agricultural land with proper irrigation facility would make the widows and their families financially stable as they can cultivate cash crops or start agriculture related businesses.

Col Suhas Jatkar, director, DSW, said, “On an average every year, 20 soldiers and over 10 para military personnel from the state die in action. This number is significant. Monetary help along with land allocation will certainly help us to rehabilitate the families better.”

Last year, the Punjab government had changed the policy and decided to give cash grants instead of land. When asked about the Punjab’s government decision, Jatkar said, “Every state has its own issues. We don’t think we will have to face a similar situation, considering the demand of the families in the state.”

Sources from DSW said, “Due to joint families, most of the soldier families don’t get much land as their ancestral property gets divided over a period of time. As a result, the demand for land is high.”

A senior official from DSWsaid, “To implement the decision effectively, the government needs to fill up all vacant posts of the district welfare officers at the earliest. Currently, we are short of 15 officers. One officer has to look after more than one district which is a cumbersome task. We have raised the issue with the government in the past but in vain.”