Attestation Parade of Agniveer Batch 08/26 held at Artillery Centre, Nashik, Major General NR Pandey reviews the ceremony
Nearly 2,839 Agniveers from the state are scheduled to complete their service, according to the Maharashtra Sainik Welfare Department.
Col Deepak Thonge (retd), director of the Sainik Welfare Department and head of the committee constituted to study the retirement and rehabilitation process of Agniveers, told TOI , “This was a crucial decision, as the majority of the Agniveers would get accommodated in state govt services while some of them will get absorbed by the central govt’s paramilitary and other services. These opportunities in the police, fire and other uniformed services would allow us to put those skills to use,” said an agniveer from Sangli district. The posts, which provide them with second career opportunities, are expected to be created primarily in uniformed Group-C cadres where the military training, physical fitness, discipline and emergency-response skills of Agniveers can be utilised. Likewise, almost all of the Agniveers would get a job on the completion of their tenure in the armed forces. The potential roles or profiles include police constables and driver constables in the state police and State Reserve Police Force (SRPF), prison guards, firefighters and rescuers, personnel in the home guards, state excise personnel and vehicle drivers, forest guards, and firefighters in municipal corporations and councils. For Agniveers, the decision could provide greater certainty about career prospects. “The decision provides a major sense of security to Agniveers who have started preparing for the transition. We would leave the armed forces with military discipline, physical fitness, technical skills and experience. The panel comprises senior officials from the home, forest, general administration, finance and urban development departments, besides representatives from the law and judiciary department and sainik welfare department.