Around 75 per cent of the first batch of Agniveers will exit the Indian Armed Forces by the end of this year, the Centre has recently informed the Rajya Sabha. In numbers, it would be 34,500 — over 1,000 of them are from Punjab. And with the re-employment schemes announced by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on May 12 still on paper, their uncertain future is providing rich grounds for politics ahead of next year’s assembly election.
But this is yet to be implemented and it has given ammunition to the opposition parties, which plan to corner the ruling AAP. Opposition parties in Punjab, particularly Congress, have been raising the issue of the shortened army service period for some time. Army veteran and former Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh also termed the recruitment scheme as being against the traditional bonding with the Indian Army. He urged the Central government to review the policy, saying a short-term tenure will disrupt the regimental cohesion vital for the armed forces.
The draft reservation and rehabilitation policy for Agniveers involve reservation of 10 per cent of police constable posts and 20 per cent of office guard posts for them.
“The Agnipath scheme is against the interests of Punjab and has negatively impacted the youth of the state,” Leader of the Opposition Punjab Pratap Singh Bajwa had said.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s statement that the future of the Sikh Regiment “is in danger” has gone viral.
