Department of Ex-servicemen Welfare

Department of Ex-servicemen Welfare( Poorva Senani Kalyan Vibhag) is a department, in Ministry of Defence, India. It was set up in 2004. The head of Department of Ex-servicemen Welfare since its inception has been a bureaucrat from the IAS. Veteran have for long demanded that DEWS be headed by a serving officers or a retired officer, like in other countries, including the United States, in which the Department of Veterans, is invariably headed by veteran with active duty military experience, with a cabinet rank. For instance the current head of the department is graduate of West Point, and has served in the army.

The functions of DESW according to the official website are: "Matters relating to Armed Forces Veterans (Ex- Servicemen) including pensioners;Armed Forces Veterans (ExServicemen); Contributory Health Scheme; Matters relating to Directorate General of Resettlement and Kendriya Sainik Board; Administration of (a) the Pension Regulations for the Army, 1961 (Parts I and II); (b)the Pension Regulations for the Air Force, 1961 (Parts I and II);(c)the Navy (Pension) Regulations, 1964; and(d) The Entitlement Rules to Casualty Pensionary Awards to the Armed Forces Personnel, 1982".

The Department has two Divisions, the Resettlement Division and the Pension Division and 3 attached offices namely (a) Secretariat of Kendriya Sainik Board (KSB), (b) Directorate General (Resettlement) (DGR) and (c) Ex-servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) Organisation.

DEFENCE STRUCTURES--- BY EX-SERVICEMEN ASSOCIATION

The All Assam Ex-Servicemen Welfare Association (South Zone),Patharkandi , under Karimganj District Assam constructed the following Defence structures with indomitable strives and efforts of all Ex-Servicemen, Patharkandi under the leadership of Ex Sub Maj Nirmal Sinha (Sigs), President of the Association :-

1. SENA SHAHEED BEDI (The message - "WHEN YOU GO HOME TELL THEM OF US AND SAY THEM WE GAVE OUR TODAY FOR YOUR TOMORROW" inscribed on the Bedi touched the hearts of local Administrative Officers. Shri Sanjeev Guhain Barua, the then Hon`ble DC, was very much pleased with the task.

2. AMAR JAWAN with an SLR standing on it`s barrel. It has been made with a noble intention to keep all the citizens to remember always and every time the known and unknown heroes who laid down their lives for the nation and

3. WAR MEMORIAL with names of MARTYRS has also been established by the side of the AMAR JAWAN on NH-44(now NH 8) with unflinching support of Deputy Commissioner, Circle Officer and Executive Engineer , PWD (NH). Expressing warm regards and heartfelt gratitude to all of them by this Association.

...
Wikipedia