Soldier's widow donates to PM CARES fund: Moved by gesture, CDS urges people to at least pay taxes

New Delhi: Moved by the gesture of an 82-year-old widow of a soldier who lost his life in the 1965 war to donate Rs 2 lakhs to PM CARES fund, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Bipin Rawat, on Saturday urged everyone to follow her example.

82-year old Darshani Devi whose husband was a Havaldar in the Army and died in the 1965 war with Pakistan, donated Rs 2 lakhs from her savings to the PM CARES fund.

She made the donation through the local authorities in her village near AgastyaMuni town in Uttarakhand.

Praising the gesture of the woman, CDS Gen Rawat said: "This is the army that was of yesteryears and this will be the army we will be proud of in the future, with the change we are striving to achieve."

The CDS said that "We are proud of Shrimati Darshani Devi. Many of us need to follow the fine example she has set."

He said that even if "we cannot contribute let us at least pay our taxes and not find means to avoid taxes."

General Rawat has been working for many years in the Army to ensure that tax benefits are availed only by deserving officers and men, for whom the disability pension facility was created.