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. Yogi said a soldier never retires, as only the uniform changes while the commitment to patriotism and service to the nation remains unchanged. "There is no place in Uttar Pradesh for anti-national forces, terrorists and criminals. We have already buried them," he said. 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. According to the chief minister, 2,685 soldiers from Uttar Pradesh had made the supreme sacrifice in the defence of the nation. During the ceremony, the chief minister honoured family members of soldiers who laid down their lives for the nation. 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....