Meerut, Nov. 15 -- Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday announced three major measures for serving and retired soldiers and families of martyrs. The measures include doubling the one-time cash rewards and annual allowances for gallantry award winners, increasing the stamp duty exemption on property purchases by ex-servicemen from Rs.20 lakh to Rs.50 lakh, and providing a government job to one dependant of every martyred soldier in their home district or an adjoining district. He made the announcements at a veterans' reunion ceremony in Meerut. The chief minister said the measures were aimed at ensuring the dignity, security and welfare of soldiers, ex-servicemen and their families. "From the revolutionary soil of Meerut, I make this announcement for the families of our brave soldiers: both the one-time lump-sum amount and the annuity for gallantry award recipients will be doubled. Currently, we provide a lump sum of Rs 52 lakh and an annuity of Rs 3,12,000 for Param Vir Chakra; a lump sum of Rs 31 lakh and an annuity of Rs 2,37,000 for Maha Vir Chakra, and a lump sum of Rs 20,80,000 and an annuity of Rs 1,37,000 for Vikra Chakra. All these will be doubled," he said. He made similar announcements for recipients of Ashok Chakra, Kirti Chakra, Shaurya Chakra, Sena Medal, Mention-in-Dispatch, Sarvottam Yudh Seva Medal, Uttam Yudh Seva Medal and Yudh Seva Medal. He also inaugurated eight newly constructed district Sainik Welfare Offices in Shamli, Amethi, Chandauli, Auraiya, Sant Kabir Nagar, Sonbhadra, Ambedkar Nagar and Gorakhpur. The buildings were constructed at a cost of Rs.27.50 crore. The ceremony also witnessed the release of Shaurya Gatha, a book documenting the bravery of soldiers from Uttar Pradesh who have received seven Ashok Chakras, 30 Kirti Chakras and 133 Shaurya Chakras. Yogi said a soldier never retires, as only the uniform changes while the commitment to patriotism and service to the nation remains unchanged. Respecting soldiers, brave widows and families of martyrs was a commitment of the double-engine government, he added. "There is no place in Uttar Pradesh for anti-national forces, terrorists and criminals. We have already buried them," he said. The chief minister also urged ex-servicemen to prepare rural youth for recruitment into the army and police forces, keep them away from drug addiction and teach them the importance of discipline. Yogi said India had a military community of around 20 lakh people, with nearly 60,000 soldiers retiring every year. Of these, approximately 12,000 belonged to Uttar Pradesh. Citizens could sleep peacefully because soldiers remained alert at the country's borders, he said, adding that they stood at the forefront of national security, whether in the snow-covered heights of Siachen, deserts, seas or disaster-hit areas. He recalled the contributions of Param Vir Chakra awardee Naik Jadunath Singh, Veer Abdul Hamid, Captain Manoj Kumar Pandey and Grenadier Yogendra Singh Yadav, among other decorated soldiers from Uttar Pradesh. Gahmar village in Ghazipur was among the villages that had contributed the highest number of soldiers to the country, he said. According to the chief minister, 2,685 soldiers from Uttar Pradesh had made the supreme sacrifice in the defence of the nation, while more than 2,000 had received gallantry medals. Uttar Pradesh was not only contributing soldiers to the armed forces but was also helping equip them with modern weapons, the chief minister said. Under the defence corridor project, BrahMos missiles were being manufactured in Lucknow. Most components of the indigenous AK-203 rifles were being manufactured in Lucknow and Kanpur, while their final assembly was taking place at the Korwa Ordnance Factory in Amethi. Ammunition for the rifles was also being manufactured in Kanpur, he said. The government had expanded the network of Sainik Schools in the state, while the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) had strengthened security arrangements in Deoband and border districts, he added. Yogi said Rs.64 crore had been allocated for constructing district Sainik Welfare Offices and Sainik Rest Houses. Thirteen new buildings and rest houses had been constructed, while old buildings in four districts, including Meerut, had been renovated. The newly constructed buildings in Shamli, Amethi, Chandauli, Auraiya, Sant Kabir Nagar, Sonbhadra, Ambedkar Nagar and Gorakhpur were inaugurated on Saturday. The government had also decided to provide land free of cost for ECHS polyclinics in 14 districts. The chief minister appealed to officials and institutions to ensure that copies of Shaurya Gatha reached schools and libraries so that younger generations could learn about the bravery and sacrifices of soldiers. During the ceremony, the chief minister honoured family members of soldiers who had made the supreme sacrifice in the service of the nation by presenting them with cheques and traditional stoles. Those honoured included Archi Singh, wife of Major Amit Sharma; Usha Sharma, mother of Major Ketan Sharma; Abrisha Khatoon, wife of Kirti Chakra awardee Sepoy Ajmer Ali; Vimlesh Devi, wife of Sapper Satish Kumar; and Meenu Tomar, wife of Shaurya Chakra awardee Anil Kumar Tomar....