Our Correspondent,Abohar, January 7

An ex-serviceman has been arrested in Sriganganagar for running an Army recruitment scam. A court today allowed his custodial interrogation. The police said Rs 6 lakh, Army stamps, seals and some fake recruitment letters had been recovered from Ram Chander Meghwal, who joined the Army in 2009 under the reserve category. He served at Meerut Cantonment, but did not report back for duty last year after availing himself of annual leave. He was dismissed and declared a proclaimed offender.Hanuman Dass of Haridasswali village had alleged that Ram Chander offered to get him a job in the Army against a payment of Rs 2 lakh. Fifty per cent of the amount was reportedly paid in advance. After receiving stamped and signed recruitment letter through postal service with an Army seal four months ago, Hanuman reportedly paid Rs 1 lakh more to the accused.Thereafter, Ram Chander asked the victim to join a local gym to prepare for the fitness test. The victim then got suspicious and approached the police. Probe indicated the recruitment letter was fake.

Rachna Khaira,Tribune News Service,Bamyal (Pathankot), January

For all the talk of Intelligence alerts and a heavy security apparatus in place, the check-posts at Bamyal, considered a hotbed for infiltrators dot on the International Border with Pakistan, were found unmanned when a Tribune team visited the area today.Due to multiple porus points that can facilitate infiltration here, the Border Security Force is yet to identify the place from where the terrorists involved in the attack on the Pathankot air base could have sneaked in.Though underground and over-ground sentry posts are constructed along the border, these were found unmanned.According to villagers, the Army used to guard these posts in the village five to six years ago, but these were not used once the BSF took over. Even as a high-level meeting of BSF IG Anil Paliwal and DG Mahesh Kumar Singla was in progress at the Bamyal check-post amidst tight security on Sunday evening, the Tribune team managed to go right up to the International Border fence in a private vehicle without any checking by the BSF jawans.Two rivers, Jalaliya and Ujh Dariya, pass through the village and enter Pakistan. Both are unfenced and are reportedly considered the hotbed of infiltrators and drug cartels.The 22-km area falling between the International Border and Pathankot too was found unguarded. A police station and a sentry post en route were ill-equipped to guard a border town with a high rate of infiltration. Even the road constructed under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Yojana connecting the border village to Pathankot was found to be completely immersed in dark with no streetlights. Though BSF IG Paliwal could not be contacted due to his engagement in the ongoing operation, a senior official of the Punjab Frontier on condition of anonymity said that the border check-posts were empty as the cops were busy in patrolling and combing the entire area.DIG Kunwar Vijay Pratap said the area always remained under strict vigilance by the Army, police and BSF, but also stated that it is not possible to guard the area every minute of the day. “We have ample security and vigilance arrangements along the border but then we cannot guard it every minute,” he said.

Under scanner, then ‘martyr’

Ravi Dhaliwal,Tribune News Service,Pathankot, January 3

As the Punjab Police hunt for the Indian contacts of the Pathankot attackers, the role of 24-year-old Ikagar Singh, who was kidnapped and killed by the terrorists before they abducted SP Salwinder Singh from Kolian in Pathankot, continues to confound the security personnel.Bhagwal, Ikagar’s native village, is 500 metres away from the Pakistan border.Though the police were viewing Ikagar’s case with suspicion since yesterday morning, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal visited his house in the evening and gave Rs5 lakh relief to his family as well as a job for his wife.Badal also said that the road leading to his house would be re-constructed and named after Ikagar, repeatedly referred to as a “martyr” by the CM.Director General of Police Suresh Arora neither confirmed nor denied the development. He said Ikagar’s alleged involvement with the terrorists was an “assumption”, and that the police “cannot rule out anything”. A senior officer claimed Ikagar’s mobile phone had been confiscated and the numbers he had last dialled were being verified. Unconfirmed reports said the Pakistani handlers of the Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorists allegedly called up Ikagar and had asked him to arrange a car for the attackers.Ikagar was allegedly kidnapped from Kolian village bus stand, 5 km from his native village, and later killed. His Innova car was taken away and it was recovered from near Kathlour bridge, 6 km from the border. The terrorists had apparently driven the car and sources claim they had to abandon it after two of its tyres got punctured.

IAF Base Attacked

Attack may hamper talks: Pak mediaIslamabad: Pakistani media on Sunday said the brazen attack by militants at a key Indian Air Force base will pose a “challenge to attempts to resurrect” the dialogue process between the two neighbours despite the goodwill generated by recent high-level meetings between their leaders. On its front page lead, the Express Tribune said the attack was over but it posed a “challenge to attempts to resurrect a moribund dialogue process”.  PTI

US asks all countries to disrupt terror networksWashington: The US on Sunday asked all countries in the region to work together to disrupt and dismantle terrorist networks. “The US condemns the terrorist attack on an Air Force base in Punjab on January 2. We extend our condolences to the victims and their families. The US is committed to its strong partnership with the Indian government to combat terrorism,” said State Department spokesman John Kirby. PTI

NIA to register case todayNew Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) will register a case on Monday to probe into the conspiracy of Pakistan-based terrorist group, believed to be Jaish-e-Mohammed, behind the strike at the IAF base in Pathankot. A team of NIA was at the spot yesterday as per the standard operating procedure and today the Government decided to hand over the case to the NIA after taking concurrence from the Punjab Government, sources said. PTI

PM chairs meeting on attack New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday night held a meeting with top officials to discuss the Pathankot terror attack. Soon after returning from his two-day visit to Karnataka, Modi chaired a meeting of top officials, including National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar. Earlier during the day, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar briefed Modi on the latest situation at the Pathankot air base. PTI

Pakistan effigy set on firePathankot: A fresh anti-Pakistan protest broke out in Pathankot town on Sunday with locals burning an effigy of the neighbouring nation following the terror attack at the Air Force base here. A number of local residents raised anti-Pakistan slogans close to the Air Force station where the attack took place. They set Pakistan’s effigy on fire, holding the country responsible for continued attacks in Punjab. PTI

Alert issued in Mumbai

Mumbai: An alert has been issued in the city by the Mumbai Police and cops have intensified night patrolling in the wake of the Pathankot terror attack. “The police have started doing naka-bandi at several places in the megalopolis. Suspicious activities are being checked at railway stations, lodges and hotels,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (Detection) Dhananjay Kulkarni said. PTI

Terrorists failed to destroy assets: Home SecyNew Delhi: The terrorists who attacked the IAF base near Pathankot in Punjab failed to destroy the IAF assets due to timely action by security forces, Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi said on Sunday. “Because of early action, the terrorists were unable to move to their likely intended aim but were contained in an area of heavy growth of trees and shrubs and surrounded. Therefore, the main apparent aim of the terrorists stands defeated,” he said. — PTI

Militants vowed to avenge Afzal’s execution Pathankot: The name of Afzal Guru, who was hanged for the Parliament attack in 2001, was invoked by the militants when they told SP Salwinder Singh and his two acquaintances that “hum to Afzal Guru ki maut ka badla lene ayein hain (We have come to avenge the death of Afzal Guru).” This was confirmed by Rajesh Verma, a Gurdaspur resident who is recuperating in a private hospital after his throat was slit open by the terrorists. — TNS

Security up at Hindon Air baseGhaziabad: Security at Hindon Air Force base on the outskirts of the national capital has been stepped up. Senior Superintendent of Police Dharmendra Singh said that a combing operation was conducted in areas surrounding the Air Force station. Hindon Air Force base is the largest air base in Asia. “All senior police officers and personnel from various police stations were immediately summoned and a combing  operation was conducted,” Singh said. — PTI

Our Correspondent,Hamirpur, January 1

Captain Mridul Sharma sacrificed his life for the nation and the district administration could not even pay tributes to the martyr, said Leader of the Opposition PK Dhumal.He said despite repeated requests made to the administration by Colonel JK Sharma, father of the martyr, nothing had been done to renovate the memorial, only 200 m away from the Secretariat.Dhumal said Capt Mridul Sharma died fighting the militants in Jammu and Kashmir on the intervening night of December 31, 2003, and January 1, 2004.Earlier, Dhumal paid homage to the martyr.

Cash payment of hotel or foreign travel bills exceeding Rs 50,000 Acquiring shares of listed companies for Rs 50,000 and aboveAll transactions, including purchase of jewellery, above Rs 2 lakhPurchase of immovable property of over Rs 10 lakh Opening all bank accounts except under Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana Term deposits exceeding Rs 50,000 at one go or Rs 5 lakh in a year with banks, POs & NBFCs

Eating at Parliament canteen to cost moreItem New rate Old rateVeg thali Rs 30 Rs 18Non-veg thali Rs 60 Rs 33 3-course meal Rs 90 Rs 61 Chicken curry Rs 40 Rs 29The number of items prepared in the canteen will also be reduced to one-fifth to avoid wastage and cut cost. From 125-130 dishes, the number of items will be reduced to 25 per day.

No interviews for Class III, IV jobs from today The decision to abolish interviews for Class III and IV government jobs will come into effect from January 1, with PM Narendra Modi on Thursday describing it as a “New Year Gift”  which will “free the youth from corruption”. Modi had first talked about his intent to abolish interviews in his last I-Day address.

Nawaz Sharif

Lahore, January 30

Pakistan will soon complete its investigation into the Pathankot terror attack and make it public, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said today.The attack had had a negative impact and disturbed the talks with India which were “going in the right direction” after the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, he said.“The investigation into the Pathankot incident is under way and we will make its findings public soon,” he said while talking to mediapersons here. “Whatever facts come out we will bring them forth before everyone,” he said. Sharif vowed that Pakistan would go to any length to uncover the alleged use of its soil in the January 2 attack on the air base in Pathankot by suspected Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terrorists. “It is our responsibility to uncover if our soil was used in the attack. We will do this and the ongoing investigations will soon be completed,” he said.The terrorists were being defeated and in desperation, they were carrying out isolated acts to make their presence felt, he said, adding that the remaining ones will also be eliminated.Meanwhile, Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah said none of the “suspects” arrested in connection with the attack had been charged. “The investigation team is probing the matter and its findings will be made public,” Sanaullah told mediapersons.On whether any link of JeM has been established, he said: “The investigation team is also probing this.”Sharif had formed a six-member committee headed by Additional Inspector General of Punjab’s Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) to investigate the attack in which seven security personnel were killed. — PTI

PATHANKOT SLOWED DOWN TALKS: SHARIF

EW DELHI: Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for the first time has said that the terror strike on Pathankot airbase affected the dialogue process with India, reports said on Saturday. India has alleged that Maulana Masood Azhar, chief of Pakistanbased terror group Jaish-eMohammad, is responsible for plotting the Pathankot attack and given several pieces of evidence against him.

Pathankot affected dialogue, says Sharif

Commodore M Bhada (Retd)

Convenor, Vikrant Memorial Forum

The Memorial opposite the Lion Gate in Memory of INS Vikrant, was jointly unveiled by VAdm SPS Cheema, FOC-in-C West & Shri Ajoy Mehta, Municipal Commissioner, MCGM, on Friday, 25th Jan 2016.

INS Vikrant, the first aircraft carrier of the Indian Navy, was commissioned in 1961 and after a glorious 36 years service to the Nation was decommissioned in 1997. During this period, she actively projected India’s Sea Power in the Indian Ocean region. The ship saw action in the 1971 Indo-Pak War operations in the Bay of Bengal and played an instrumental role in the defeat of Pakistan that led to the creation of a new Nation. It was owing to her presence in the Bay of Bengal that the Country’s promulgation of contraband control was effectively enforced by the use of integral air power, representing India’s   multi-dimensional Sea Power.

Despite the concerted efforts of the Indian Navy, the State Govt and the Central Govt to preserve Vikrant as a Museum, she could not be retained and finally had to be sent to the scrapyard in 2014.

The dedication on the plaque reads as follows:

This Memorial is a living testimony of deep gratitude to a majestic ship, which chartered a glorious innings in the service of our Nation, from those to whom her deck was a haven of warmth and safety. Those who took forward her immeasurable legacy as pioneers of Indian Navy’s embarked aviation cadres. She played a vital role in the early victory of the 1971 War, representing India’s multi-dimensional Sea Power. We, her shipmates, offer this little monument to the iconic Aircraft Carrier, Indian Naval Ship VIKRANT, fabricated from her recovered memorabilia, as an offering of our everlasting tribute.

This project was conceived and spearheaded single handedly by Commodore Medioma Bhada (Retd), an ex-pilot from Vikrant who acquired the parts of the ship from the scrapyard and donated them for this memorial. The monument was  designed and created by Mr Arzan Khambatta, a sculptor known to bring life to metal, who has retained the pristine condition of the parts whilst projecting iconic Vikrant’s Air Power.

French President Francois Holland’s visit helped create an air of finality to the deal for purchasing Rafael fighter jets. All that remains, we are told is six more months of hard bargaining over prices. By then the Narendra Modi government would have completed two years in office and come no nearer to its predecessor in resolving the question of steady drawdown of India’s fighter aircraft fleet. For years, the joint development and production plan with Russia for the next generation of fighter aircraft too has been the subject of intense negotiations.  The light combat aircraft, after decades of being under development, went on its first outing to the Bahrain air show. But it cannot undertake the requirements of the heavier fighter aircraft. If the negotiations over Rafael drag on, Modi will have himself to blame for failing to reverse the attrition in India’s fighter fleet. Almost as if on impulse, he placed an order for 36 Rafael jets on the eve of his first visit to Paris last April. Rafael had emerged as the best of the six fighters that had competed for the Indian Air Force’s tender for 126 fighters. For the past three years Defence Ministry officials had been conducting intense haggling-cum-negotiations with the company. The entire exercise went topsy-turvy when Modi announced the order for 36 fighters. Exasperated officials had to begin negotiations all over again. This time they are trying to get the old price for a smaller order. It is not just about Rafael. The Make-in-India policy for defence equipment was announced with fanfare without one crucial component — the criteria for the foreign strategic partner. The industry is not happy with the proposal to restrict one strategic partner to one project. Once this is overcome, the next hurdle will be the defence public sector workers opposing the entry of the private sector. Several other major projects such as plans to jointly build warships, nuclear submarines and helicopters are also facing challenges. The bigger challenge is there are no export markets or civilian derivatives for these products. The government will have to become realistic and prioritise products that can be realistically built in India at a comparable cost.

India for fresh price quote on Rafale jets

New Delhi unwilling to seal deal till cost is reduced

Ajay Banerjee,Tribune News Service,New Delhi, January 27

India and France are looking at the possibility of sealing the deal on 36 Rafale fighter jets over the next two months even as New Delhi has sought a fresh ‘price quote’ on the planes. India has asked the manufacturers of Rafale, French company Dassault Aviation, to come up a quote on pricing, it is learnt.During the just-concluded three-day visit of French President Francois Hollande, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed as the first step towards signing a formal inter-governmental agreement (IGA).Only pricing remains to be decided and specific aspects are being discussed on how price can be reduced, a top functionary said. There is no reason it can’t be done in four to six weeks, he added.Last-minute efforts to ink the IGA for the purchase of the jets during Hollande’s visit had come to naught as New Delhi was not happy with the price being offered.“It was way too expensive. The price has come down from earlier but not to our expectations. Let them (the French) do their exercise of costing and come back with a fresh offer,” a senior functionary said.The French President was quoted as having cited a figure of US $9 billion for the 36 jets, including two types of missiles (air to ground and air-to-air), training of pilots, bombs and base facilities of the planes. It would translate to Rs 59,000 crore or Rs 1,630 crore per piece. Indian negotiators are willing to pay some US $7 billion or Rs 46,000 crore (Rs 1,180 crore per piece).In the meantime, the Indian Air Force has reminded the Ministry of Defence that it needs at least 80 Rafale-type multi-role combat fighter jets to be battle-ready in the next few years. The Tribune had on June 2 reported how the IAF was uneasy with the number of jets ordered. As of now, the IAF has 35 fighter jet squadrons (having 16-18 planes each) against its projected requirement of 42.