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NOTIFICATION- Members of DPCs (GOG).pdf.pdf

it will provide more recognition/active participation with positive  role  in planning  at Distt Level with this elevation of Distt Heads of GOG.Earlier the planning was done for all works and executive order given by DC’s or ADC’s but GOG s who work as Eyes and Ears of Pb CM were kept in Dark fearing if the details are provided to GOG then they will check the work execution on ground  along  with the  quality and financial aspects, who will send the reports via Mobile application to the  Senior Vice Chairman Lt Gen TS Shergill and to the Chairman Capt Amarinder Singh within 24 Hours.

The notification has seen the light of the Day with sustained efforts of SR Vice Chairman Lt Gen TS Shergill and blessings of Hon’ble CM Capt Amarainder Singh.

Also because of the sustained hard work of GOG at ground Level , one per village the Sarpanches and Panchyats have started performing ,Even BDO’s etc. GOG’s  has been able to curtail  and exposed illegal sale of Free Ration to BPL families , Fake Ration cards ,MNERGA  labours  attendance manipulations, Mid day meals in Govt Schools,Teachers attendance and punctuality , Manipulation of Funds/grants  by Village sarpanches  ,Water supply schemes in villages , construction of village roads  etc . The positive reporting has paid dividends to the state govt in financial savings but has earned  lot of criticism from those quarters who wee in habit of manipulation of State grants  as per habit formed during Akali regime  including with holding of old age pensions , or continued withdrawing  pensions of dead also. All has been put to end by GOG positive reporting from Village level

 .ROLE OF GUARDIAN OF GOVERNANCE 

‘Guardians’ to monitor 18 welfare schemes in villages

With ex-servicemen been appointed as the Guardians of Governance (GoG), they will be  keeping track of 18 welfare schemes, including atta dal, disbursement of social security pensions, any overcharging by cooperatives in fertiliser sale services provided in the hospitals/community health centres and veterinary hospitals.

The guardians, have ben appointed by a screening committee of ex-servicemen, are  armed with an app on their mobile handsets. They are be physically inspecting the progress of each scheme, which  are  ranked and uploaded on the app linked to the IWDMS operating system at the government headquarters here. The ranking, high or low, is simultaneously visible to the SDM, DC and the administrative secretary of the department that runs the scheme, and the Secretary, Defence Services Welfare, who will be the overall in charge of the GoG scheme.

Based on the ranking given by the guardian, the scheme can be rectified. The app allows for the scheme to be examined at the sub-divisional level, district level and at the state level.

The Congress government has decided to appoint  3,000 guardians, with each guardian looking after ONE OR TWO villages. Originally,

This was clarified by the NHAI headquarters in New Delhi in reply to queries by The Indian Express through the Right to Information Act seeking details of exemption from paying toll to defence personnel, especially in light of the introduction of FASTags.

There have been numerous complaints recently where defence personnel have not been allowed to proceed in private vehicles without paying toll by the personnel manning the toll plazas even when they produced their identity cards.  (Express Photo by Amit Mehra)

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has stated that exemption from payment of toll on national highways to defence personnel is available only when they are “on duty”. No exemption is available if they are travelling in a private vehicle while being “off duty”. It is also not available for retired defence personnel.

This was clarified by the NHAI headquarters in New Delhi in reply to queries by The Indian Express through the Right to Information Act seeking details of exemption from paying toll to defence personnel, especially in light of the introduction of FASTags.

There have been numerous complaints recently where defence personnel have not been allowed to proceed in private vehicles without paying toll by the personnel manning the toll plazas even when they produced their identity cards. There have been contradictory instructions issued at several toll plazas in the states of Punjab and Haryana wherein in some instances the defence personnel are allowed to proceed in their private vehicles upon production of identity cards while in other cases they are stopped. There has also been an incident near Bikaner in Rajasthan where an Army officer was assaulted by toll personnel following an argument.

While furnishing the reply to the questions seeking a copy of policy letters which govern exemption to defence personnel from paying toll, whether the exemption is “on duty” or “off duty” as well and any policy direction regarding exemption from FASTags, the NHAI cited a letter dating back to 2014 on the issue.

“User fee exemption on the NH fee plaza is available to defence personnel as per Rule 11 Sub Rule b(i) of the National Highways Fee (Determination of Rates and Collection) Rules, 2008 as amended. Further, Ministry of Road, Transport and Highways (MoRTH) wide its office memorandum dated June 17, 2014 has clarified that exemption under Indian Toll (Army and Air Force) Act, 1901 is available only to the persons who are ‘on duty’ and does not pertain to retired personnel,” the reply to the RTI application says.

The NHAI further added that, “No exemption is available on the use of personal vehicle if it is not used for discharging any official purpose and duty even if it accompanies the said official. The exemption is available only on production of pass as specified in the Indian Toll (Army and Air Force) Rules, 1942”.

Several serving Army officers, who get harassed on toll plazas, have taken up the issue with the Army Headquarters through the online grievances portals of the organisation. One such missive addressed to the Chief of Army Staff requests him to ask the Adjutant General’s branch to “look into the recent toll tax fiasco created by a letter by NHAI that armed forces people only on official duties in official vehicles are exempted from paying toll tax”.

The officer adds that because of this they are facing embarrassment at toll plazas where the toll personnel are asking for leave certificate and even movement order in precedence over the identity card. “Another recent incident of manhandling by toll tax employees with an officer cannot be ignored,” it adds.

Reacting to the NHAI reply, Major Navdeep Singh, advocate, Punjab & Haryana High Court, who is conversant with the issue said that the requirement of “duty” is not applicable to personnel of the regular forces.

“Section 3(a) of the Indian Tolls (Army & Air Force) Act, 1901, provides toll exemption to all personnel of the Regular Forces without the requirement of being ‘On Duty’ whereas Section 3 (b) provides toll exemption to Territorial Army and NCC personnel when on duty. The requirement of ‘duty’ is hence not applicable to personnel of the regular forces but only applicable to Territorial Army (TA) and NCC. This was also clarified by the MoRTH and Law Ministry on 12th November, 2003. Any letter purportedly issued under the garb of a reply under the RTI Act cannot hence override legislative provisions of the Act,” he said referring to the June 2014 letter of NHAI.

Women encourage participation and share power and information as they have learnt this since their childhood, and yet are ruthless when the situation demands. It comes naturally to them to enhance the self-worth of their colleagues and get the best out of them, a rare but much sought-after quality in a good leader. Our armed forces are opening the doors to women very hesitantly. Their role must be made more broad-based.

Col DS Cheema (Retd)

Military commentator

Combat role in the Indian Army has for long been an exclusive domain of men. India will be among the few countries globally to have broken the gender barrier. Women have been serving in administrative and technical roles in various corps, but combat role for them, initially in the Military Police, is a new beginning. The recent Supreme Court judgment has finally accepted gender parity in the Army by allowing women officers in command positions.

The debate on women in combat role in the armed forces comes up at regular intervals, although women have been in such roles in other countries earlier too. History bears testimony to the fact that thousands of women from Britain, Germany and America, excluding the women guerrilla fighters and those who took part in uprisings against the rulers, who may not be included in the strict definition of a combat soldier, fought during the Second World War. By 1943, the army of the Soviet Union had enrolled more than a million fighting women. The 586th Fighter Aviation Regiment, 587th Bomber Aviation Regiment and the 588th Night Bomber Regiment of the Soviet Air Force were all-female units of pilots and aircraft engineers.

In the Indian context, who can forget the fighting spirit of the women warriors of Guru Gobind Singh and the inspiring legend of Rani of Jhansi? It is believed that Subhas Chandra Bose had read an article by an Englishman, who wrote after the first war of independence in 1857, “If there had been a thousand women like the Rani, we could never have conquered India.” According to the late Captain Lakshmi Sahgal, who was the Commander of the Rani Jhansi Regiment (RJR), Netaji chose this name for the regiment of the corps of female combat soldiers after reading that article. Each of the RJR soldiers of the Indian National Army (INA), roughly 5,000 in number, is a case history of grit and determination of women in combat role.

Historian Vera Hildebrand writes in her book, Women at War (2016), “The RJR, the first all-female infantry fighting unit in military history, was created in Singapore in July 1943 by Indian nationalist Subhas Chandra Bose to liberate India from British colonial oppression.” These women soldiers were trained for deployment in the hostile terrain of steamy jungles of Burma, a challenging assignment for any soldier, during the last two years of World War II. It is a different matter that they could not actually face the enemy. Recently, the first batch of three women fighter pilots of the IAF has created a history of sorts.

It has taken many years to come to a stage that women are now being even considered for combat role in the armed forces. It is unfortunate that in 2020, there are some old hats, mostly retired generals, who still feel that women must remain the ‘weaker’ sex in the forces. Their arguments display the traditional bias against women and point towards the well-known facts about the men having different pulse rate and bigger biceps and their ability to shout much louder. They list many pitfalls of the idea, cleverly ducking some natural strength in a woman’s DNA.

The entire thought process smells of continued decay in attitude towards them. Women who are more likely to adhere to the ‘rules of conduct’ have broken the glass ceiling in many fields earlier unheard of and yet are required to prove their suitability for a bigger role in the armed forces. They are succeeding because of — not in spite of — certain traits generally considered ‘feminine’. Time and again, they have demonstrated their physical, psychological and moral strengths in different situations.

If we examine the qualities required for a good professional soldier and relate them with men and women to find out whether they fare equal or not on that yardstick, women will, perhaps, fare a shade better. Professional competence which admittedly requires a certain level of physical fitness is the most important factor.

A professional soldier should be a person who takes on the responsibility for fellow soldiers by sharing and caring for them, can lead in the face of chaos and danger when a situation arises and must have moral and mental toughness in such situations, should be an expert in the use of weapon systems and equipment, must remain committed to the defence of the nation and be bound by a strong ethical framework.

Women encourage participation and share power and information as they have learnt this since their childhood, and yet are ruthless when the situation demands. It comes naturally to them to enhance the self-worth of their colleagues and get the best out of them, a rare but much sought-after quality in a good leader. Our armed forces are opening the doors to women very hesitantly. However, a stage has come when their role must be made more broad-based.

Many developed countries have women as fighter pilots, they command ships and serve in all arms and services. The US has taken the lead in this direction. The most important argument of those who speak against women in combat role is women becoming prisoners of war and suffering rape at the hands of enemy soldiers.

There are international laws governing the conduct of armed conflicts. Is it fair to deny equal job opportunities to 50 per cent of the population of the country? Empowerment and autonomy of women and improvement in their political, social, economic and health status are important ends in themselves. For sustainable development, these are also essential objectives.

Women have already created a niche for themselves as fighter pilots in the IAF and as administrators in supporting services. There is a definite need to enlarge their role by letting them engage in combat roles as well. It is a good idea whose time has come.

Sources said it is now final that Pakistan will remain on the FATF grey list, and will face consequences if it doesn’t take appropriate action by June this year. An official announcement is likely to be made on Thursday. (AP Photo)

In a significant development, China and Saudi Arabia are learnt to have joined India, US and European countries to send a stern message to Pakistan to complete its commitments on action against terrorist financing and money laundering given to the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) before the plenary session in June, including “conviction and prosecution of top leaders of all terrorist organisations”.

Diplomatic sources said Turkey was the only country which held out in the end. This marks a major shift in China’s position, which has always backed Pakistan at the FATF.

Sources said it is now final that Pakistan will remain on the FATF grey list, and will face consequences if it doesn’t take appropriate action by June this year. An official announcement is likely to be made on Thursday.

After the second informal summit at Mahabalipuram last year, the Ministry of External Affairs had said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping were “concerned that terrorism continues to pose a common threat”. “As countries that are large and diverse, (we recognise) the importance of continuing to make joint efforts to ensure that the international community strengthens the framework against training, financing (of) terrorist groups throughout the world and on a non-discriminatory basis,” Modi and Xi had said in a statement.

“In a desperate attempt to mislead its people and the world, Pakistan has always been indulging in false and selective media leaks of FATF proceedings. The fact is that despite Pakistan’s best attempts, it has remained, and will remain, on the grey list of FATF. The onus is on Pakistan to ensure that it acts on FATF parameters to avoid being blacklisted in future. Pakistan was given a stern message by almost all FATF member countries (except Turkey) to complete the remaining 13 action plan items by June 2020 plenary, including conviction and prosecution of top leaders of all terrorist organisations as mentioned in the action plan, else consequences will follow,” a diplomatic source told The Indian Express.

“Further, Pakistan has long been trying to politicise the technical process of FATF, which is proven beyond doubt from the statements of Turkey and Malaysia leaderships recently. FATF members must take note of this,” said the source.

Ahead of the FATF’s plenary session, a sub-group tasked to review Pakistan’s case has recommended that Islamabad should continue to be in the “grey list” for its failure to check terror funding. It has stopped short of recommending the country for the black list.

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 19

Ahead of US President Donald Trump’s visit, the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Wednesday cleared the deal to acquire 24 MH-60R Multi-Role Helicopters for the Navy.

India is looking to get 24 specialised marine helicopters from US company Lockheed Martin for $2.6 billion (Rs 18,200 crore). The price negotiation has ended and a final contract is expected anytime now. The acquisition will help the Navy in its role of dominating the Indian Ocean.

The MH-60R is also used by the US Navy. It will have full anti-submarine warfare (ASW) capability, as well ability to engage in warfare with ships at sea. The helicopters would replace India’s ageing fleet of British-made Sea King helicopters which are more than 40 years old. An ASW-capable helicopter which carries sea-dunking with its sea-dunking sonars are a favoured platform for detecting a submarine. Submarines of the People Liberation Army Navy of China have been spotted in the Indian Ocean often.

Lockheed Martin website says the MH-60R is the most reliable and cost effective option in it class. The helicopter has the lowest life-cycle cost in its class, says the company website.

Ajay Banerjee

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 18

The two countries now conduct more bilateral exercises with each other than they do with any other country. The US has already supplied more than $18 billion worth of weapons and planes to India in the past 12 years. Three more deals worth $7.50 billion (approximately Rs 52,500 crore) are in the pipeline. Binding agreements have been inked which allow deeper alliances.

India is looking to get 24 naval multi-role helicopters from Lockheed Martin for $2.6 billion, the price negotiation has ended and a final contract is expected anytime now.

On February 10, the US Department of State approved a possible sale to India for what is called the Integrated Air Defense Weapon System made by Raytheon. It would cost $1.867 billion and provide an air defence cover over the national capital. These two are coming up immediately while the sale of six more surveillance planes Boeing P8I, costing $3.1 billion, would come up later this year. In the past five years, India has got 145 pieces of the specialised M777 ultra light howtizers.

In June 2016, the US recognised India as a ‘Major Defence Partner’. It commits the US to share technology and enter into industry collaboration for defence co-production. Agreements signed since 2016 have cemented ties. The Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Association signed in August 2016 and the Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement inked in 2018 – the two along with BECA — are what the US calls ‘foundational agreements’.

Kochi, February 19

A burglar was full of remorse after ‘mistakenly’ targeting a retired military officer’s residence here that he wrote an apology on the wall, quoting a Biblical commandment.

The police, however, were not amused and have launched a search for him.

Police claimed nothing was found missing. The incident occurred on Tuesday night.

“Had I come to know that it was a military personnel’s house, I would not have targeted it,” he wrote, expressing his respect for the Indian military.

“I didn’t know it was an Army man’s residence. I came to know only in the last moment when I saw the military cap. Apologies!” the thief wrote on the wall using a marker, a police officer told PTI.

The retired colonel and his family is out of station for the past two-and-a-half months.

A woman engaged by the family to clean the premises of the house at Thiruvankulam near Thrippunithura found the doors broken open this morning and alerted police.

“I violated the seventh commandment…” a reference to the Biblical commandment “Thou shalt not steal” was another phrase etched on the wall, police said.

The burglar had earlier struck at a shop in the neighbourhood.

Police said they were investigating if more people were involved in the break-ins. — PTI