Durga Nath Ganjoo

Shri Durga Nath Ganjoo was born on 27 March 1920 at Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir, to Shri Aftab Ram Ganjoo and Shrimati Radha Mal Ganjoo. He was fondly known as Boithoth by all and had a younger brother named Prithvi Nath Ganjoo, fondly known as Baigash. After his schooling in Rainawari, post matriculation, at the age of seventeen he was married to Gouri Kaul, later on known as Durgeshwari Ganjoo.

During the pre independence days, he left for his higher education to Calcutta, where he completed his M.Com and LLB. He was an all rounder, brilliant in academics he was awarded the prestigious Aushutosh Mukerjee Law Prize of Calcutta University, an active sportsman he was Captain of the University hockey team in addition to being a very keen debater. He was a member of the College Students Union and undertook an active role in the pre independence movement for which a warrant of arrest was issued against him. He then had to move overnight back to Srinagar.

His father advised him to join the Royal Air Force and he received the King's commission in the Royal Indian Air Force as an Officer in the Accounts Branch. His first posting as pilot Officer was in Secunderabad in the year 1943, where he was joined by his wife. They were blessed with a lovely daughter in Dec 1944 and they named her Meera. Post Independence he moved to Delhi as a Flight Lieutenant and in August 1947, another lovely daughter was born who was named Usha, dawn of the new era. Later, while still stationed at Delhi, in April 1949, they were blessed with a son, named Vijay who was later on re named as a Ram Krishan.

In 1950 he was posted initially to Jallahali and then to Bangalore as the Command Accounts Officer. A Brilliant Officer he initiated the computerisation of the Accounts Branch and helped it evolve into one of the finest departments of the Indian Air Force. He received the Commendation by the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Arjan Singh DFC, for his exemplary services. After his roles as Command Accounts Officer Training Command and Maintenance Command, he Commanded the prestigious Air Force Central Accounts and then rose to the top position of Accounts Branch as Director Accounts. He finally retired as Air Commodore, in March 1975, as the Director of Financial Planning at Air Head Quarters, New Delhi.

Post retirement he settled down in D -25 Pamposh Enclave, where he built a home for his family. He remained very active socially and was instrumental in building the colony as President of the Pamposh Residents Welfare Association. In the year 1973, he initiated measures to get the roads built for the colony and then took the initiative to help in the construction of the Shiv Temple. He was well respected in the community and lived a life of helping all those in need.