AFVOA Newletters of Year 2004

Page 104 of 153 significant contributions made by the heads of the serving Defence establishments/organizations in Chennai. He thanked AVM V Krishnaswamy, VSM the past president under whose guidance the project was launched. He was grateful to the core group of members who contributed substantially to the success of the project. A special mention was made of Shri Kirubakaran, staff of the Madhuram Narayanan Centre for Exceptional children for his contribution of meticulously entering the enormous data in the computer in the desired format. Gen Govindaswamy requested the GOC to allot some space for establishment of an office/working place for the AFVOA at any suitable location in Chennai. He then requested Lt Gen C Sundara Rao, PVSM, the Patron to call upon the GOC to release and accept the first copy of the “Hello Veterans 2004”. 16. The Patron then requested the GOC to release the first copy and accept the same. He then thanked the GOC for his kind patronage to the AFVOA and his staff for constantly helping us whenever we seek their help. He particularly wished to place on record the immense help that the GOC, his units and staff had rendered in organizing this function. He also reiterated the need to once again take up the matter with the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu– the issue of exemption of payment of property tax for the self-occupied house of Ex Servicemen of Tamil Nadu, as this is already prevalent in the neighbouring States. Talk by Maj Gen Paramjit Singh, VSM, - Chief Guest 17. Maj Gen Paramjit Singh, VSM, the GOC, thanked the AFVOA and expressed his immense satisfaction for the excellent arrangements and the thorough planning which had gone into the execution of the same. He congratulated the AFVOA for the Herculean efforts which went into the making of this wonderful Telephone Directory. 18. He mentioned that various facilities had now been made available at the Island Grounds. He also talked of the additional features that were on the anvil to be added soon. He hoped that in the very near future the Island Grounds would be transformed into a major recreational centre for the use of service officers – both serving and retired. In fact he was hoping that in due course of time, this would be converted into a facility similar to the RSI which was already functioning at other stations like DELHI, Pune and Bangalore. 19. He assured the members that he would favourably look into the aspect of providing accommodation to the AFVOA. 20. He mentioned that he had recently attended a meeting at DELHI which was attended by all the three Chiefs wherein the ECHS was also discussed He was happy to mention that the maximum number of board proceedings for empanelment of hospitals was from ATNKK & G Area. He added that by the end of this year at least 20 hospitals would be empanelled in Chennai alone Further he said that orders were being issued to enable local purchase of medicines upto Rs 50,000/- per transaction. He concluded by wishing all the members particularly the elderly better health and hoped that they would never have occasion to go to the Polyclinic as a patients. Vote of Thanks 21. Brig SP Balachandran, then gave the formal vote of thanks. He thanked the GOC, the Area Headquarters, Area Units and their staff for their unstinted co-operation. He thanked all the guests who had taken time off to attend this function. It was good of the Additional Director and Deputy Directors of the Ex Servicemen Directorate to have made it convenient to attend the function. He made a special mention of thanks to VRK Printers – the firm which had printed the ‘Hello Veterans’, Narendra Maharaj – our normal caterers and Lt Col KS