5 BJP-Ruled States Announce Job Quota For Agniveers. Opposition Criticized

• By Thetripurapost Desk, New Delhi
• Jul 26, 2024
• 254

The country is celebrating the 25th anniversary of Kargil Day today (26 July). Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached Ladakh to attend the anniversary of Kargil Vijay Diwas. PM Modi described the Agneepath scheme as an example of the necessary reforms done by the army. He said that some people are doing politics on a sensitive issue related to national security and rejected the claims of starting the Agneepath scheme to save pension money. He said that the purpose of Agneepath is to make the forces young. The purpose of Agneepath is to keep the forces constantly fit for war.

PM Modi said, from Parliament to various committees, there has been a discussion on making the armed forces younger for decades. The average age of Indian soldiers being higher than the global average has been a matter of concern. Therefore, this topic has been raised in many committees for years. But the will to solve this challenge related to the security of the country was not shown earlier. The PM said, unfortunately such a sensitive issue related to national security has been made a subject of politics by some people. Some people are doing politics of lies for their personal interests even on this reform of the army.

Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday (July 26) criticized the opposition for misleading the public about the Agniveer scheme. He said that his government will give jobs to Agniveers on priority basis in the Police Service and Territorial Armed Force (PAC). 

CM Yogi said in a post on Instagram that when the Agniveers return after their service, the Uttar Pradesh government will facilitate adjustment of these youth in the Police Service, PAC on priority basis. A certain reservation facility will be provided for them in the Uttar Pradesh Police.

Recently, the Haryana government led by Nayab Saini had announced a similar move on July 17. Chief Minister Nayab Saini said that the state government will provide 10 percent reservation to Agniveers in direct recruitment to the posts of constable, mining guard, forest guard, jail warden and SPO. He has also announced a relaxation of three years in the age limit for Agniveers in Group B, C jobs in the state.

Apart from Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Uttarakhand also announced quota for Agniveers on Friday. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Friday announced that his government will provide reservation to Agniveers in police and armed forces recruitment after their service ends. Sharing the information on social media platform X, Yadav said that this decision is in accordance with the wish of our great Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Earlier in the morning, the Chief Minister paid tribute to the heroes of the Kargil war at the Shaurya Smarak in Bhopal on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of Kargil Vijay Diwas. With this, Madhya Pradesh became the third BJP-ruled state to announce reservation in jobs for Agniveers.

On the occasion of Kargil Day, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami also announced a similar decision. Dhami said, "We will make provisions and bring an Act to give them reservation in government services. We are working on this plan. We will use their skills and discipline in various government departments." 

The CM also announced that the assistance amount given to the families of the martyrs will be increased from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 50 lakh. "He said, there can be no greater sacrifice than sacrificing one's life to protect the borders of the country. No grant or honor can be enough for this supreme sacrifice."

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Dev Sai also announced this and said, "I am happy to announce that former Agniveers will be given priority in the appointment of police constables, forest guards and jail guards in Chhattisgarh. The state government will soon issue guidelines for this."

The BJP government in Odisha announced 10% quota and five-year age relaxation for Agniveers in uniform services.

Odisha chief minister Mohan Majhi said that his government would soon bring a legislation to extend the reservation.

Meanwhile the Modi government's Agniveer Yojana is being continuously criticized by the opposition. While PM Modi on Friday accused the opposition of doing politics of lies for their personal interests even on this reform of the army regarding this scheme, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge accused the PM of doing petty politics on the Agneepath issue and said that PM Modi's comment that his government has implemented this scheme at the behest of the army is a blatant lie. Kharge said, it is very unfortunate and condemnable that PM Modi is doing petty politics even on occasions like paying tribute to the martyrs on Kargil Vijay Diwas. No Prime Minister has done this before. Modi ji is saying that his government implemented the Agneepath scheme at the behest of the army. This is a blatant lie and an unforgivable insult to our brave armed forces.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh accused Modi of lying even on Kargil Vijay Diwas. In a post on X, he said, "He (Modi) says that the Agneepath/Agniveer scheme was launched by the army. General MM Naravane, who was the army chief at the time, has written that the scheme was a complete surprise for the army and a 'disaster falling from the sky' for the navy and air force. Modi is now trying to escape responsibility for this disastrous scheme."

Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) MP Mahua Maji said that the scheme should be reviewed because it does not provide any social security to the Agniveers. She said, I salute the martyrs of Kargil. Whenever foreign countries have attacked us, our brave soldiers have sacrificed their lives. The JMM MP said, on whom the entire country of 140 crore people is dependent. What will happen to them when they become unemployed after four years?

Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP Dola Sen rejected the Prime Minister's comment that the Agniveer scheme aims to keep the army young. She said, "The army has always been young, perhaps the Prime Minister does not know that they take voluntary retirement when they are young. They serve the country, we respect them." Sen said, "Staying in the army was a permanent job. But Agneepath-Agniveer (scheme) has ended it. We will continue to protest against this scheme."