Leh, Aug 01: The Union Territory administration in Ladakh has appointed two retired army officers as Zila Sainik Welfare Officers for the districts of Leh and Kargil. This appointment comes as part of an official order aimed at enhancing the support system for veterans in the region.
According to the order, Lieutenant Colonel Tondup Wangail has been appointed as the Zila Sainik Welfare Officer for Leh, while Captain (IN) Arvind Kumar Pawar will take on the role for Kargil. Their engagements are contractual, spanning a period of three years from the date of joining or until they reach the age of 60, whichever comes first. This decision aligns with the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Defence, Department of Ex-servicemen Welfare, as per F.No.22(5)/2013-D (Res-11) dated December 26, 2013.
The appointed officers’ compensation will be structured according to the Last Pay drawn minus pension, as stipulated by the General Civil Services (GCS) Rules of 2008 and 2016. The pay scale will correspond to the level at which they retired from the Armed Forces. Additionally, they will be entitled to leave and travel allowances similar to those of temporary government employees.
To formalize their appointments, the officers are required to execute a bond before a magistrate, affirming their commitment to the terms of their contractual engagement. This bond ensures that they will not seek any benefits, absorption, regularization, or continuation of service beyond the contractual terms. Furthermore, they are prohibited from engaging in activities contrary to the interests of the Sainik Welfare Department.
The officers are mandated to report to the Director of the Sainik Welfare Department. Their engagement is subject to satisfactory performance and can be terminated at any time by the competent authority without prior notice. The order explicitly states that this contractual engagement does not confer any rights to regularization or continued service.
The appointees are expected to join within 21 days from the issuance of the appointment order. Failure to do so will result in the cancellation of their appointment without further notice.
