Dehradun, Dec. 12 -- Chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Thursday announced that the state government will establish a dedicated training institute for Prantiya Rakshak Dal (PRD) personnel. Dhami made the announcement while attending the ceremonial parade organised to mark the Foundation Day of the PRD in Dehradun. During the programme, he also distributed financial assistance to the dependents of deceased PRD volunteers and scholarship cheques to children of PRD personnel. The chief minister said PRD personnel will now be considered "on duty" even during hospitalisation in the course of their service and will receive an honorarium for up to six months in such circumstances. Greeting the force on its Foundation Day, Dhami said PRD personnel have emerged as "symbols of patience, dedication, and indomitable willpower". He said they are contributing significantly across the state by managing traffic, maintaining security, performing clerical and departmental duties, and responding during natural disasters. Their role during the Char Dham Yatra, where they assisted in ensuring the safe movement of millions of pilgrims with "sensitivity and vigilance", was especially commendable, he added. Dhami highlighted several initiatives taken for the welfare of PRD personnel in recent years. At the time of Uttarakhand's formation, PRD personnel received an allowance of just Rs.65 per day, which has now been raised to Rs.650, he said. "Scholarships are also being provided to the dependent children of PRD members, while more than Rs.70 lakh has been disbursed as financial assistance to families of deceased and injured personnel", he said. Dhami added that PRD personnel retiring after 10 years of service were now eligible for a one-time service allowance of Rs.18 lakh. The compensation for families of personnel killed on duty during communal riots has been doubled from Rs.1 lakh to Rs.2 lakh. Compensation for deaths during highly sensitive duty has been increased from Rs.75,000 to Rs.1.5 lakh, while the amount for normal duty deaths has been enhanced from Rs.50,000 to Rs.1 lakh, he added. A financial assistance provision of up to Rs.50,000 has been introduced for PRD personnel who suffer losses due to natural disasters. Recognising the sacrifice of personnel who die or become disabled while on duty, the government began registering their dependents as PRD personnel in 2023. Since then, 133 of the 190 registered dependents have been provided employment. This month, 149 dependents will also receive departmental paramilitary training to enhance their capability and readiness. HTC...