New Delhi: The second edition of the Armed Forces Flag Day CSR Conclave was organised as a webinar on 04 December 2020 in New Delhi. While presiding over the webinar Raksha Mantri, Rajnath Singh said the government has recognized the role and importance of the private sector in the development of the country. Since 2014, when the NDA came into power, the government has encouraged the private sector to grow. Singh said the Defence sector which was out of bounds for the private sector, is now open to welcome the Indian private sector also. He said some revolutionary steps have been taken to encourage private sector participation in the defence sector and urged the industries to come forward to take due advantage.
The Union Defence Minister said that in the process of fighting to safeguard the sovereignty of the country our forces sometimes even lay down their lives, or are rendered disabled. “Hence the rehabilitation and welfare of our Ex-Servicemen, the next of kin of our martyrs and our disabled soldiers is the responsibility of all citizens,” Raksha Mantri said. “The Flag Day provides us an opportunity to fulfil this responsibility by contributing to the AFFD fund” he added. Recalling the spirit of the services of our ex-servicemen, ESM, Singh said even during the difficult days of Covid-19 pandemic, they assisted the local administration in works like contact tracing, community surveillance and quarantine management etc.
Raksha Mantri said during the last few years, with the generous contribution of Indian industry through CSR, there has been a substantial increase in the AFFD. He thanked the industry for their contributions to the AFFD Fund last year and appealed them to continue contributing to this noble cause.
Secretary, Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare, Ravikant said Kendriya Sainik Board (KSB) is committed to the welfare of the ex-servicemen and their dependents. Secretary, KSB Air Commodore B Ahluwalia, apprised the conclave of the welfare schemes funded out of the Armed Forces Flag Day Fund. KSB is the apex body of the Government of India, which formulates policies for rehabilitation and welfare of ex-servicemen and their dependents. The AFFDF is administratively controlled by KSB
AFFD fund is used for the rehabilitation and welfare of next of kin of those soldiers who laid their lives in the line of duty, or were rendered disabled, old, non-pensioners, widows and orphaned children. They are given financial assistance through various schemes like penury grant, education grant, widow/daughter marriage grant etc.