Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Friday announced that the state government would provide up to 10 per cent reservation in its uniform services for those Agniveers from the state who are not absorbed in the defence forces, according to a press release from the office of the Odisha CM. Majhi termed the launch of the Agniveer scheme "historic."
Speaking to media at Lokseva Bhawan before leaving for Delhi to attend the NITI Aayog Governing Council meeting, the Chief Minister said that our soldiers are our pride. The Agniveers, who are trained by our defence forces, are qualified to serve the nation in various security-related sectors, according to a press release from the office of the Odisha CM. He further said, "The Agniveer Scheme is a historic initiative launched by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This initiative has made our youth able and fearless, so that they can face various challenges in life." That is why, the Chief Minister said, the Odisha government has decided to recruit Agniveers in the state's uniformed services. He announced that the state government will provide up to a ten per cent reservation in its uniform services for those Agniveers from the state who are not absorbed in the defence forces. There will also be five years of age relaxation for them, the CM announced. Notably, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also made an announcement that Agniveers, after serving the country, will be given weightage in recruitment for the UP Police and Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) forces. He mentioned that the nation would benefit from having trained and disciplined young soldiers in the form of Agniveers. The Chief Minister made these remarks to the media at his official residence on Friday evening, before attending the NITI Aayog meeting in New Delhi. Criticising the opposition's stance on the Agniveer issue, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath stated, "The role of the opponents is to create obstacles and spread rumours in every effort towards progress and reform." He highlighted that, under the leadership of PM Modi, India has become the fifth-largest economy in the world. "In the last 10 years, significant reforms have taken place in India," CM Yogi said, adding that the country is moving towards self-reliance in the modernization of the Indian Army and its equipment. (ANI)
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