Tribune News Service

Mohali, April 10

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) today submitted a list of 39 witnesses in the Pathankot airbase attack case to be examined during trial in a special court in Mohali.Sources said the court had issued summons to one Vimal Kumar for his witness in the next hearing on May 2.The chargesheet in the case has named four accused, Maulana Masood Azhar, chief of the terrorist organisation Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), Mufti Abdul Rauf Asghar, deputy chief of JeM and brother of Maulana Masood Azhar, Shahid Latif, launching commander, and Kashif Jan, main handler of Pathankot attackers, all of Pakistan. A Red Corner Notice has already been issued by Interpol for the arrest of these terrorists.The accused, all Pakistan nationals, have been charged for offences under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, Arms Act, 1959, Explosive Substances Act, 1908, and the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act.

BUGLERS BRING ALIVE SARAGARHI BATTLE

GOLDEN JUBILEE OF 11TH BATTALION OF THE GARHWAL RIFLES CM RAWAT FELICITATES EX-SERVICEMEN

12,000 KM TO PAY TRIBUTE TO MARTYRS RETD MAJ GENERAL PEDALLING TWO MINUTES EACH FOR 21,000 FALLEN SOLDIERS

ARMY TO REPLACE ANIMALS WITH ALL­TERRAIN VEHICLES

LINKING OF AADHAAR, PAN MADE EASY

HINDUISM AT RISK FROM RSS BY APOORVANAND

US AIR STRIKES SAY MORE ABOUT PUTIN-TRUMP TIES ROBERT FISK

‘WE HAVE HAD ENOUGH OF UDTA PUNJAB, WE NEED TO CHANGE THE NARRATIVE NOW’

The economy of Punjab is on life support and a multi-pronged strategy to revive it has to be put in place. Policy makers need to examine alternate and viable strategies of growth. The focus must shift from only agriculture to floriculture, tourism, industry and the services.

LIGHT UP THE PILGRIM TRAIL: A view of the Takht Damdama Sahib at Talwandi Sabo. There is a need to develop tourist circuits at sites of pilgrimage.

A farmer at his sunflower farm on the outskirts of Jalandhar. It is important for Punjab to break the paddy-wheat cycle.

Charan Singh

PUNJAB has a new government led by an experienced Chief Minister who has an opportunity to turn around the ailing state suffering from high unemployment and low growth. Punjab has had a unique history. In a short time, from a semi-arid land, thanks to Green Revolution, it became the granary of the country and the richest state of India. These good times were short lived. Historically, in the mid-1960s, India was passing through severe drought conditions, and it was a challenge to feed 50 crore people, of which nearly half were below the poverty line. Food aid, globally, was difficult and was largely used to manipulate geo-political decisions. Hence, to be truly independent, it was crucial to ensure national food security. Punjab, though short of rainfall, was considered perfect for an experiment of high-yielding variety of seeds. The Green Revolution, ably supported by canal and tube-well irrigation, and minimum support price of the government, ensured food security but changed the cropping pattern in Punjab. In 1971, 39 per cent of the land area was under wheat, 7 per cent under rice, and 55 per cent under various crops like gram, maize, cotton, bajra and groundnut. By 2015, 49 per cent was under wheat, 41 per cent under rice and 10 per cent under others. In terms of per cent share of major crops in production, the story was obviously similar. The high dependence on rice and wheat, and over-exploitation of land led to unforeseen complex problems. The rapidly depleting water table in face of non-adoption of micro-irrigation, and high toxicity of soil because of over-use of fertilisers and pesticides led to unfolding of health issues reflected in the high incidence of cancer and kidney failure.  The state, given its critical fiscal situation, cannot support present levels of standard of living through subsidies. There are no employment opportunities for the youth, who are increasingly turning to drugs – a recipe for a social disaster.

Alternate models of growth

The academia and policy makers of Punjab need to start examining alternate models of growth to transit from mono-emphasis on agriculture to tripolar dependence on agriculture, industry and services. To have sustainable agriculture, Punjab needs to expedite alternatives like exploring floriculture and horticulture. To meet challenges, agricultural university needs to support these endeavours as it did in the past for rice and wheat. Similarly, there is an urgent need to go in for agro-processing of agricultural produce, and that too by farmers’ collectives, to yield additional income and employment. There is no escape from industrialisation. Punjab has to decide as to which are new industries that can be attracted and then provide suitable incentives while taking advantage of the Centre’s successful “Make-in-India” campaign. In India, illustratively, the aerospace industry has been booming in the last few years, especially, in South India. Aerospace industry plans an investment of a trillion US dollars and capacity to create 2 million jobs. Presently, there are only few assembly facilities in places like Bangalore.  Similarly, Punjab is known for its crafts and skills in jewellery, carved furniture, embroidery, phulkari, soft toys for children, specialised food items, and leather products.The need is to explore synergy in labour-intensive crafts and MSMEs. The government could consider supporting the marketing of such products. The largest scope for growth is in services sector, and Punjab could explore medical tourism which is being encouraged by the Central government. Annually, about 2 lakh tourists arrive, mainly from neighbouring countries, the Middle East and Africa to Maharashtra, West Bengal, Delhi, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala. Given that the Centre is already promoting pilgrimage tourism, there is a need to develop tourist-circuits of historical and pilgrim venues of different faiths in Punjab. Religious tourism can have a multiple effect on employment generation as it promotes local culture, handicrafts, and cuisine. Finally, farm tourism which has been successful in Kerala and Maharashtra, should also be strengthened in Punjab.

Skill development

In view of the protectionist policy being pursued by advanced countries, especially the USA and some countries in Europe, Punjab needs to take advantage of the Central government’s policy of skill development. The Centre has already signed MoUs for skill development with several countries like the United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, USA, Canada, Singapore, the European Union, and France. The government’s Pravasi Kaushal Vikas Yojana aims to train and certify Indian workforce keen on overseas employment in select sectors and job roles in line with international standards to facilitate overseas employment opportunity.Similar to the look-East policy, India can also consider strengthening its trade and cultural relations in the North-West by creating in Punjab a trading hub of goods and services for Central-Asian countries like Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and even Afghanistan. These Central-Asian republics can be connected to India through Punjab rather than the extensive long sea route from Mumbai. Interestingly, Zahedan in Iran is already connected by an all-weather road and 1,676-km broad gauge railway line to Amritsar.Finally, there is an urgent need to strengthen the state planning board which can help inspire multilateral lenders like the World Bank as well as experts from universities like Harvard and Stanford, to give advice on development plans. A professionally managed planning board could serve as an anchor to steadily steer Punjab into high growth. Punjab has been in the forefront of providing food security to the nation but now it needs help. The band-aid approach would not be able to cure the ailing economy of Punjab which is in the ICU and therefore, this time thorough diagnostic tests are required to honestly identify the specific root causes of the disease. On completing the “identification” exercise, the Punjab government needs to prepare a road map, with milestones, based on wider consultations. The road map, given the critical situation, would have to be implemented in mission mode and diligently sequenced so that the health of the economy is restored without harming the sentiments of people or disrupting normal economic activity. It would have to be a very carefully planned surgical operation, given the sensitive circumstances. Reviving the ailing economy would be a lasting contribution of the experienced Chief Minister to the land of his forefathers. The writer is a Professor in the Department of Economics & Social Sciences, IIM  Bangalore

Kulwant Singh

Praful Chander Nagpal

Fazilka, March 31

An Army jawan, Kulwant Singh (26), was found dead with a bullet wound in Balakot sector along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district today. He was a resident of Kharaswali Dhani, 3 km from here. He had married Daljinder Kaur on February 2 and rejoined duty on March 4.Kulwant’s elder brother Malkeet Singh said the Army authorities told him on the phone this morning that the jawan had sustained a bullet injury.Later, he was informed about Kulwant’s death. He said the authorities had not yet given details of the incident.The victim’s father, Gurdeep Singh, a labourer, said Kulwant had joined the Army in 2009. The body would be brought here tomorrow for cremation.

Soldier found dead along LoC

JAMMU/FAZILKA : A soldier was killed on Friday in a mysterious incident of firing on the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district.

HT PHOTOFamily members of Sepoy Kulwant Singh mourning his death in his village in Fazilka district of Punjab on Friday.

Police sources said Sepoy Kulwant Singh, 26, a resident of Kharass Wali Dhani village in Fazilka district of Punjab, was found dead with a bullet wound in Chaprahali area Balakote sector in the morning. Singh was from the 49 Rashtriya Rifles.

“It is not known whether the soldier’s death was a suicide or due to firing from across the LoC,” an official said.

The deceased had married on February 2 this year and rejoined duty in the first week of March.

Meanwhile, Singh’s family says that on Thursday night some intruders from Pakistan ambushed his unit during which he sustained critical injuries, and died on Friday morning.

News of his death has engulfed the village in a pall of gloom. Singh’s body will reach his village on Saturday afternoon and will be cremated with full state honour, an official said.

ARMY TO RECRUIT CIVILIANS FOR 10,000 SAHAYAKS’ POSTS

ARMYMAN SHOOTS SELF IN PATHANKOT

2 HIZB ULTRAS KILLED TRYING TO AMBUSH POLICE CAR IN VALLEY

25 live bombs found in Tarn Taran village

Suspected ultras snatch AK-47 from cleric’s gunman in Jammu

NAVY’S ICONIC TUPOLEV JET TO FLY INTO SUNSET

INDIA TO SHUN FOREIGN STANDARDS FOR TESTING BULLETPROOF JACKETS, VEHICLES

PUNJAB NEWS :: 27 MARCH 2017–

• 1. Pruning on, 585 cops no more on VIP duty
• 2. Post-riots, slew of rewards, reforms in Gurdaspur jail
• 3. Ministers take houses meant for Speaker, Leader of Oppn
• 4. Cong MLA asks depts about ‘favours’ sought by Akali leader
• 5. CM for crackdown on traffic violators
• 6. All SHOs transferred in Muktsar
• 7. HC asks CS to intervene in marriage palaces’ row
• 8. Govt doles out slew of sops for inmates in Gurdaspur jail
• 9. Sidhu in full flow as he adds colour to his thanksgiving event in Amritsar East

Within a month of its inauguration the Trump Administration lost its National Security Adviser (NSA). Lt Gen Michael Flynn was forced to resign due to unauthorised contact with the Russian ambassador. His replacement is Lt Gen HR McMaster, about whom very little is known in India. However, President Trump has got it absolutely right on this appointment.

McMaster is considered a modern day warrior thinker or better still, a scholar warrior. A proven warrior in battle he is also a competent and brilliant doctrine man, which is rare in military circles. India officialdom needs to know more about this man it will deal with in the next four years, and perhaps much longer, going by the record of competent soldiers in the US armed forces.

I consider myself fortunate to have met McMaster, when we were fellow faculty for a few days last year at the Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. Five minutes of checking his profile and i knew i had met a military intellectual of no mean achievement.

At relatively lower ranks he had held some very challenging appointments but not before proving his mettle in battle. In the First Gulf War, as a cavalry officer with nine tanks under his command, he had a typical ‘meeting engagement’ with a force of approximately 80 tanks of the Republican Guard, considered the centre of gravity of the Iraqi army. The Americans destroyed all 80 tanks and McMaster became a legend.

For two years he taught military history at West Point, something like being an instructor at IMA. Between 2002-06 he commanded a squadron of his own regiment, finished a research assignment at Stanford University and served in a series of staff appointments at the US Central Command with General John Abizaid, finally becoming the virtual brains trust of the Command. This was while he held the rank of colonel. The wonder is how often nations and armies credit a talented colonel as the brains trust of a field army.

The real achievement was yet to come. In 2004 McMaster was assigned to command the 3rd Armoured Cavalry Regiment. His task was to hold and secure Tal Afar, a township in northwest Iraq close to the Syrian border, a task performed in a patchy way thus far by US troops.

McMaster’s answer to the needs of the environment was application of mind to irregular warfare, a people-centric approach and a cultural understanding. The happiness he created by listening to the Iraqi people, taking their advice on many aspects and restoring their self-esteem and identity created such positive turbulence that it led to President Bush personally praising the regiment’s efforts.

A 2006 New Yorker article gives a graphic account of the turnaround at Tal Afar brought about by McMaster’s people-centric approach. The concept wasn’t any different to that which the Indian army has pursued in Jammu & Kashmir.

McMaster joined the International Institute of Strategic Studies, London, in 2006 to research on political-military integration in hybrid war situations. That is the crying need in our own situation in J&K. A year later he was advising General David Petraeus on the writing of US counterinsurgency (COIN) doctrine. He has been called an exceptional talent and the best one star officer the US army has produced in years.

McMaster’s case is an apt one for the Indian armed forces to examine. It is all about talent management and nurturing. Senior officers with insufficient experience in the field of their functioning remain in the learning loop for long without being contributors. As the brightest officer McMaster surpassed others for later promotion but never remained in the command stream; in the Indian army he would have been condemned to being approved for ‘Staff Only’ with no scope for further promotion.

In 2014, McMaster was identified by Time magazine as being among the hundred most influential people in the US. He has risen to NSA at the relatively young age of 54, and what the future beholds for him only time will tell. But his is an excellent example of how talent is spotted and nurtured.

ARMED FORCES LEFT OUT IN FINANCIAL POWER HIKE

VETERAN SOLDIER ON A MISSION CYCLES ACROSS COUNTRY TO RAISE AWARENESS ON MARTYRS

IS PAKISTAN OUTSOURCING ITS WATER SECURITY TO CHINA?BY LT GEN PRAMOD GROVER (RETD)

NAVY CONDUCTS MAIDEN FIRING OF MISSILE FROM INS VIKRAMADITYA

I PRAYED FOR DEATH, SAYS INDIAN SOLDIER WHO STRAYED INTO PAK

‘CAN YOU GIVE US WHAT WE NEED’ ASKS ARMY CHIEF

NEW FLIGHT SCHEDULE FROM TOMORROW::FROM CHANDIGARH

7TH CPC ALLOWANCES,MINIMUM PAY MAY HIKED IN RESULT OF STRIKE FOR CENTRAL GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES.

NEWLY ELECTED MLAS TAKE OATH IN PUNJAB

AFTER HANGING, REWARDS R. K. KAUSHIK

MLAS’ BEST FOOT FORWARD FIRST DAY, FIRST SHOW PLEASANTRIES EXCHANGED

BEND IT LIKE DHAKA

ASSEMBLY OF THE YOUNG

FROM AKALI BLUES TO FESTIVE HUES IN NEW HOUSE

TESTING THE LIMITS PUSH AADHAAR AFTER PRIVACY LAW

FIGHTING BJP’S TSUNAMI BRING BACK SECULARISM BY S NIHAL SINGH

DOABA UPBEAT OVER NEW GOVERNMENT

Traffic cop Harjit Singh, caught taking bribe, seeks pardon from Finance Minister Manpreet Badal near Doraha on Thursday. Tribune photo

Nikhil Bhardwaj

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, March 23

Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal caught two traffic cops while they were taking bribe from a commuter near Doraha this morning.Manpreet referred the matter to Ludhiana Police Commissioner Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh. Later, DIG, Ludhiana Range, SK Kalia suspended Manjit Singh and Harjit Singh of the Khanna police and initiated an inquiry.Sources said Manpreet was on his way to Chandigarh from Ferozepur in his Innova. He was driving the car, which had no beacon or escort vehicle. When he reached near the Gurthli bridge, he spotted the duo taking bribe for not challaning a motorist.Harjit folded his hands and asked Manpreet to pardon them. “The government pays you around Rs50,000 per month as salary and you people are still resorting to corrupt practices. You should sit at home. There is no room for corruption,” the FM told him.When Harjit asked Manpreet to “shoot” him rather than taking “strict” action, the minister said, “There are many people who don’t have jobs… You are still getting a handsome salary.”More than 100 ‘unfit’ traffic cops shiftedLudhiana: A day after giving compulsory retirement to three traffic cops over challaning of a Sikh girl, Commissioner of Police Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh on Thursday shifted over 100 traffic police personnel who were found unfit for the job during a recent exercise conducted by senior cops. Their ranks range from constable to inspector. “These cops have been sent to other departments,” Kunwar Vijay Pratap said. Meanwhile, when contacted on the challan row, DGP Suresh Arora said, “I have sought a report from the Commissioner of Police. I will take action after going through the report.” Traffic ASIs Davinder Singh and Kulwinder Singh and head constable Neelkanth had been given compulsory retirement. TNS

LUDHIANA : The Punjab government’s asking its ministers to give up red beacons, escort and security has started showing results! Finance minister Manpreet Badal on Thursday caught on camera a traffic cop accepting bribe. Travelling in a private vehicle without a sign of VIP, the minister saw the cop accepting bribe at Gurthali Bridge in Doraha. He shot a video of the episode and forwarded it to Ludhiana police commissioner Kunwar Vijay Partap Singh.After finding that the cop was from Khanna, the commissioner referred the matter to Khanna senior superintendent of police (SSP) Rajjit Singh Hundal. After investigation, the Khanna SSP suspended two cops, identified as head constables Manjit Singh and Jagjot Singh

2 cops suspended as Manpreet films them taking bribe

LUDHIANA: The Punjab government’s asking its ministers to give up red beacons, escort and security has started showing results! Finance minister Manpreet Badal on Thursday caught on camera a traffic cop accepting bribe. Travelling in a private vehicle without a sign of his position, the minister saw the cop accepting bribe at Gurthali Bridge in Doraha.

He shot a video of the episode and forwarded it to Ludhiana police commiss ionerKunwar Vijay Partap Singh.

After finding that the cop was from Khanna, the commissioner referred the matter to Khanna senior superintendent of police (SSP) Rajjit Singh Hundal. After investigation, the Khanna SSP suspended two cops, identified as head constables Manjit Singh and Jagjot Singh.

Manpreet Badal was on way to Chandigarh from Ferozepur via Ludhiana after attending the martyrdom day function of Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev at Hussainiwala border.

Manpreet was driving his Toyota Innova SUV when he saw the cops accepting bribe from a commuter at Gurthali Bridge. Manpreet filmed the episode through his mobile camera.

Police commissioner said the finance minister telephoned him and also sent the video clips on Whatsapp. “I investigated and found that the errant cop was from the traffic wing of Khanna police and referred the case to Khanna SSP,” he said.

Khanna SSP Hundal confirmed the suspension of the cops.

“We will investigate from whom the cop accepted bribe and how much money he had taken. But they have been suspended with immediate effect and a departmental inquiry initiated against them,” said the SSP.

He said the video has only confession of the policeman seeking apology from the minister.

APOLOGY DRAMA

After the cops came to know that they have been videotaped, head constable Manjit Singh came near finance minister Manpreet Badal’s vehicle, seeking apology. “Tuhadi jutti te mera sar, ek baar bakhsh do” (You can hit my head with shoe, forgive me once)”. Manpreet rebuffed the cop saying “you are getting ₹50,000 as salary and still accepting bribe”.

50% of cops at meeting were drunk: Ludhiana police chief

‘20% of cops didn’t attend meeting, 30% of men in traffic wing unfit’

On Wednesday, when Ludhiana police commissioner Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh gave premature retirement to three traffic cops for challaning a Sikh woman in defiance of his order, nearly half of the cops who attended a briefing convened by him in the evening were drunk, if the officer is to be believed. As per the commissioner, 20% of the cops didn’t attend the meeting and about 30% of the men in the traffic wing comprising 254 personnel were physically unfit.

The commissioner ordered a major reshuffle in the department on Thursday, transferring almost all the staff posted with the traffic wing elsewhere. He also reduced the strength of the traffic wing in city by 60% to ‘streamline traffic through selfpolicing’.

The commissioner also ordered that no cop will be deployed in the traffic wing for more than a year. Also, those aged 40 and above will not be posted with the traffic wing, he said. He also abolished the post of traffic munshi with a duty officer, who will an assistant sub-inspector level officer and at least a graduate, assisted by a constable.

‘CALL WAS MADE TO DGP TO DEFAME ME

The commissioner said a call was made to the DGP (law and order) by ‘someone’ from within the police department informing him that “I had ordered that Sikh women should be challaned”. He said challaning a Sikh woman two-sheeler rider for not wearing a helmet was a well-planned conspiracy to defame him by creating a controversy on the basis of religion. The commissioner had ordered that no challans be issued in Ludhiana for the next one month.

“It was a well planned attempt to defame me by creatinga controversy and giving it a religious colour,” he said. He, however, said he was reconsidering his ‘no-challan’ order.

Those given premature retirement on Wednesday were: ASIs Kulwinder Singh, Davinder Singh and head constable Neel Kanth.

To prevent crime against women, the commissioner has formed two all-woman teams to check eve teasing and harassment of women.

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The SYL stalemate is among key concern areas for the Congress government in Punjab. Photo: Manoj Mahajan

If Captain Amarinder Singh’s first innings as chief minister of Punjab is remembered for sending the Badals to jail, an anti-corruption drive and a bold stand on SYL issue, the second innings that started three days back will be defined by how he deals with bad financial health of the state, SYL controversy, unemployment and his ‘famous’ coterie.New state finance minister Manpreet Badal has already said that the government has inherited a financial mess from the SAD-BJP government. The state has a debt burden of Rs 1.7 lakh crore. So, it’d appear the next five years are not going to be smooth.The Akali Dal dismisses his allegation. Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, SAD general secretary, says every new government claims that their predecessor left nothing for them. “The Congress is doing the same. We started development works at a mega scale across the state. Would it have been possible without having a sound financial health?” he asks.He says that everybody thinks that the present government will continue with the development work and fulfill the promises they have made to the people. “We do hope that Amarinder would not resort to vendetta politics against the Akalis or BJP workers.” AAP’s HS Phoolka, who is also leader of the opposition in the Assembly, met the new Chief Minister on Friday and promised to play a constructive role. “We expect them to protect Punjab’s interests in the SYL, end drug menace within four weeks and give a job to each household. Amarinder Singh must remember that his party has been given a thumping mandate. If they treat it as an election jumla as the BJP does, then AAP will hit the roads,” he said.AAP thinks that the coterie around the Captain is the key troublemaker. “The Captain is a well meaning man, but the problem is his coterie. I have seen him for two decades being surrounded by the same set of people. They never allow him to see the real picture,” says Sukhpal Khaira, AAP’s chief whip. “The CM must first throw out the corrupt if he wants government to function.”The BJP says the party will wait and watch. “At this moment, we are hopeful that the new government will continue the welfare schemes started by our government,” says Madan Mohan Mittal, former cabinet minister.For Communist Party of India, the biggest concern is promises made by the Congress in its manifesto. “It is time to deliver on Rs 2500 allowance promised to the unemployed youth. The countdown has begun for making Punjab drugs-free within four weeks and for employment in each house,” says Hardev Singh Arshi, state CPI secretary.