Ensuring govt jobs for retired military personnel top priority, says new Sainik welfare director

Pune: Col Deepak Thonge (retd), the newly appointed director of the Maharashtra Sainik Welfare Department, said that providing job opportunities to retired military personnel in the state govt will be his first and foremost priority.
The state govt has reserved 15% of vacancies for retired military personnel (only Other Ranks and Junior Commissioned Officers (JCOs)) for C class jobs.However, only 4-5% of such vacancies get filled.
"A job is the best way to rehabilitate talented retired military personnel," Thonge told TOI on Monday. "Therefore, we have decided to use optimum reservation in govt jobs. We have studied the stumbling blocks, and based on that, we have decided to initiate certain steps or measures to achieve the desired result," he added.
Only two lakh military personnel are registered with the department. "But the actual number is high. About 4000-5000 military personnel from Maharashtra retire from the service annually. But actual registration is dismal. We will rope in Sainik organisations and take proactive steps to increase registration in the state," he said.
The department runs several welfare schemes for retired military personnel, their families, and wards. Only registered members avail the benefits. "Once we enhance the registration, we will have a pool of soldiers in specialised trades. We have decided to approach regimental centres to issue them relevant academic certificates to fulfil the state govt's mandatory job qualification criteria," said the officials.
"Often soldiers are experts in niche areas but do not have academic certificates. In that case, the person does not fulfil the mandatory qualification. So, once they get academic certificates from their regimental centres, it would be easier for them to get jobs in the state govt," added the officials.
Col Thonge has commanded a regiment of Corps of the Artillery and flight units of the Army Aviation Corps. He retired from the service in December 2023.