Imphal, Jan. 2: Hundreds of ex-servicemen today petitioned the Manipur governor seeking his intervention in reviving the defunct state Sainik Board.

In a memorandum submitted to Governor S.S. Sidhu at the Leimakhong army cantonment, where he was addressing a rally of ex-servicemen, the former soldiers urged him to reorganise the state-level board and set up branches in the districts. The Manipur Sainik Board has not been functioning for quite some time.

The governor promised to look into the problems and promised that a sum of Rs 5 lakh would be released by the state government for the board by January 15. He added that he would take up the issue of opening Sainik Boards at all district headquarters, so that the former servicemen?s problems could be redressed on time. He said he would write to the National Sainik Board seeking its help in strengthening the state organisation.

Manipur has 5,500 retired army, air force and navy personnel. Only one district ? Churachandpur ? has an unit of the board.

In his address, GOC of the 57th Mountain Division Maj. Gen. G.G. Dwivedi said an ex-servicemens? grievance cell had been recently opened at Imphal. The cell will cater to the needs of the former active servicemen who need not visit Leimakhong cantonment to get their problems solved.

Similarly, the Army Wives? Welfare Association would also open a cell in Imphal for interaction with Veer Naris (war widows), Gen. Dwivedi said.

The former personnel also wanted more facilities for themselves and their dependents. Among these are demands for reservation of grades C and D posts in the army, concession in fees for ex-servicemen?s children, appearing for public examinations conducted by the Manipur Public Service Commission and an increase in the number of seats in the MBBS entrance test from the current one to four.

M. Romen Meetei, a former non-commissioned navy officer, said elsewhere in India concessions were given to children of gallantry award-winning soldiers during admission to educational institutions. He demanded that the same facility be extended to those in Manipur. ?In UP, ex-servicemen can travel by bus for free throughout their life while in Punjab the government honours gallantry-award winners with land. We demand similar facilities,? he said.