Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Tuesday paid tributes to the martyrs of the Kargil war and honoured their kin at a function held here to mark Vijay Diwas.
"The Indian troops displayed their indomitable courage in the Kargil war as in all the wars fought before it," Dhami said addressing the gathering. On contribution made by Uttarakhand in the Kargil war, he said 75 brave soldiers from the hill state died for the country in the battle.
No one can forget the valour of Major Vivek Gupta and Major Rajesh Adhikari in the pivotal battle of Tololing during the war, he said. "Soldiers who give up everything personal to die for their country do not do it for a salary but for the love of their country," Dhami said. He said the morale of the armed forces has gone up under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
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Highlighting the steps taken by the state government for the welfare of soldiers and their families, Dhami said the one time amount given to winners of Paramveer Chakra and Ashok Chakra has been increased from Rs 30 lakh to Rs 50 lakh and for winners of Mahavir Chakra and Kirti Chakra from Rs 20 lakh to 35 lakh.
Many more welfare measures have been taken for soldiers and their families, he said. Uttarakhand Governor Lt Gen Gurmit Singh (retd) also paid tributes to the Kargil martyrs by placing a wreath at the Shaheed Smarak in the Cantonment area.
"It is a matter of great pride for us that our soldiers overcame the odds posed by a difficult geographical terrain to defeat the enemy," the governor said.
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(With PTI inputs)
