In a Government Resolution dated 07 Sep 1919, the then Government of India suspended the functioning of the Central Recruiting Board and in its place a new Board was established called the Indian Soldiers Board to advise, on questions affecting the interest of serving, discharged and deceased Indian soldiers and non-combatants and their dependents. This Board was then affiliated to the Army Department of the Government of India.
Due to the steady expansion of the Navy and the Air force, during the Second World War, the need for a single Organization to perform the same functions in relation to those services, as well as Army was felt and the Board was consequently reconstituted in 1944. Later in March 1951, it was re-named as the Indian Soldiers, Sailors and Airmens Board. This designation of the Board was changed to Kendriya Sainik Board in 1975. It is functioning under the Ministry of Defence as an Inter-Service Organisation.
As the welfare of the Ex-servicemen and their dependents is the joint responsibility of the Centre and the State/UTs, majority of the problems have to be resolved only by the States/UTs. To assist the State Governments in this regard there are 32 Rajya Sainik Boards in the Country. Like the Kendriya Sainik Board at the Centre, the Rajya/Zilla Sainik Boards are advisory bodies in respect of policy formulation with regard to resettlement and welfare of Ex-Servicemen/widows residing in the State/Zillas.
However, the implementation of various resettlement and welfare schemes is carried out through Departments of Sainik welfare in the State and Zilla Sainik Welfare Offices at Zillas.
The Rajya Sainik Board is a permanent office, constituted in June 1967 administratively under the control of Home Department (General), Secretariat, Porvorim and the Chief Secretary is the Head of Department. The Honble Chief Minister is the Chairman of the Rajya Sainik Board. The Rajya Sainik Board was re-designated as Department of Sainik Welfare on 12/11/1998. The Department of Sainik Welfare has been performing the dual function of Zilla .
Sainik Board and Rajya Sainik Board, although in other States, there exists separate Zilla Sainik Board or Zilla Sainik Welfare Offices in every district under the control of Rajya Sainik Board.
The Department of Sainik Welfare is the Executive Office of the Rajya Sainik Board. It consists of the Secretary as the Head of the Office with 09 employees staff consisting of Superintendent-1, Accountant-1, PA-1, UDC/LDC-3, Driver-1 & Peon-2.
