ISLAMABAD, July 28: The Pakistan Army will build 4,864 flats in 41 garrisons all over the country in two phases.

Earlier, Chief of the Army Staff General Ashfaq Pervaiz Kayani had declared 2008 as the year of the soldier.

According to a brochure published by the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), which detailed special plans for troops’ welfare, projects worth Rs10 billion had been launched.

Areas of special attention included soldiers’ accommodation, quality education for children of Junior Commissioned Officers (JCOs) and other ranks and enhanced quality of medical care and food arrangements.

In the first phase, to be completed at a cost of Rs7 billion by Dec 31 this year, at least 2,864 new quarters, including apartments for officers (major and below), 532 quarters for JCOs and 1,882 quarters for Jawans would be built. A sum of Rs24.3 million had been allocated for procuring furniture for accommodations of newly-married JCOs and soldiers.

A total of 2,000 new quarters and apartments would be built in the second phase which will be completed at a cost of Rs3 billion.

According to the brochure, frequent transfers and postings in remote areas which were without better educational facilities, rising fees structure and shortage of married accommodation in cantonments were main problems to be addressed during this year.

The army, it said, planned to overcome these through a four-tier plan. Firstly, at the unit level, 10-20 children studying in class 6 to would be provided boarding and lodging facilities. At the formation level, this facility would be provided to 50-100 children of the same age group. A military college would be established in Murree. It would induct 100 cadets in the first batch in line with the Military College, Jhelum. The college will offer pre-medical and pre-engineering curricula.

Hostels for wards of officers, JCOs and Jawans would be constructed in Rawalpindi and Lahore with a capacity to house 100 students each.

It said steps were also being taken to increase the capacity of the Combined Military Hospitals, including ensuring the availability of medicines and clinical test round the clock.

The COAS has directed the payment of uniform allowances to all soldiers in accordance with the number of uniforms authorised to him every year. A soldier would be paid Rs1,200 for a combat camouflage uniforms and Rs700 for the Khaki uniform. The allowance would enable them to get their own uniforms stitched using standard cloth purchased through the Canteen Stores Department (CSD), benefiting the Army in terms of cost effectiveness.

It has also been decided that an allowance would be paid to all troops doing internal security duty.