Sainik Welfare

In a Government Resolution dated 07 Sep 1919, the then Government of India suspended the functioning of the Central Recruiting Board and in its place a new Board was established called the Indian Soldiers Board to advise, on questions affecting the interest of serving, discharged and deceased Indian soldiers and non-combatants and their dependents. This Board was then affiliated to the Army Department of the Government of India.

Due to the steady expansion of the Navy and the Air force, during the Second World War, the need for a single Organization to perform the same functions in relation to those services, as well as Army was felt and the Board was consequently reconstituted in 1944. Later in March 1951, it was re-named as the Indian Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen's Board. This designation of the Board was changed to Kendriya Sainik Board in 1975. It is functioning under the Ministry of Defence as an Inter-Service Organisation.

As the welfare of the Ex-servicemen and their dependents is the joint responsibility of the Centre and the States/UTs, majority of the problems have to be resolved only by the States/UTs. To assist the State Governments in this regard there are 32 Rajya Sainik Boards in the Country. Like the Kendriya Sainik Board at the Centre, the Rajya/Zilla Sainik Boards are advisory bodies in respect of policy formulation with regard to resettlement and welfare of Ex-Servicemen/widows residing in the States/Zillas.

However, the implementation of various resettlement and welfare schemes is carried out through Departments of Sainik welfare in the State and Zilla Sainik Welfare Offices at Districts.

The Puducherry UT Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen Board was constituted on 13 July 1965 under the patronage of the Lieutenant Governor. On 20 March 1976 the board was renamed as Rajya Sainik Board, Puducherry UT. Even though the office of the Rajya Sainik Board has been re-designated as Department of Sainik Welfare in May 1995, the Rajya Sainik Board is still in existence under the patronage of the Lieutenant Governor and referred as ‘Puducherry Sainik Welfare Board’.

Like the Kendriya Sainik Board at the Centre, the Puducherry Sainik Welfare Board is the Apex Body of the Department of Sainik Welfare, which formulates policies for resettlement, rehabilitation and welfare of Ex-servicemen and their families.