Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh. Tribune file

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 18

Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Tuesday initiated the process of allotting free houses for the homeless poor, as promised in the Congress poll manifesto.He also directed the setting up of a committee, headed by the Chief Secretary, to formulate a legislation for regularisation of illegal colonies and transfer of ownership rights to the occupants.The Chief Minister also directed the Town Planning Department to complete work on preparing Master Plans of all cities in the state by the end of the current financial year.

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The meeting further decided on a series of measures, including allotment of project-based No Due Certificate (NDC) to promoters, in order to ease the Real Estate business in the state. The NDC will now be valid for three months, to be taken by the department on the date of application for a particular service rather than as on date of delivery of service.In another decision, the Chief Minister put his stamp of approval on the reduction of transfer fee levied by GMADA etc from 2.5% to 2% till March 31, 2018.Chairing a review meeting of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Amarinder directed the officials concerned to ensure completion of the master plans within the stipulated timeframe by outsourcing the necessary planning work, if need be.The meeting took several key decisions to create an enabling environment for the growth of the real estate sector, which has been suffering from a severe slowdown for years.The Chief Minister took note of the various suggestions presented to him by officials of the Housing and Urban Development department and issued instructions for immediate implementation of several of them, according to an official spokesperson.The suggestions presented to the Chief Minister were based on intensive discussions with the various stakeholders in the real estate sector, which was upbeat with the change in government in Punjab, the spokesperson added.The meeting was attended by Finance Minister Manpreet Badal, Power Minister Rana Gurjit Singh, Chief Secretary Karan Avtar Singh, Chief Principal Secretary Suresh Kumar, Principal Secretary Tejveer Singh and Housing and Urban Development Secretary Vini Mahajan.On the issue of regularisation of the illegal colonies, it was decided to set up a committee under the Chief Secretary to formulate the necessary legislation for their regularisation and grant of ownership rights to the occupants.The committee will have members from the Housing department, Local Bodies department and the Revenue Department, which would look into the issue of such colonies built by private promoters, on MC land and on land outside MC limits, respectively. The Finance Minister stressed the need to ensure implementation of master plans in all the cities of Punjab, which currently has only 43 cities covered by master plans. The Chief Minister ordered work on the master plans to be take up on priority, with all master plans to be made available online. A mobile app has also been launched, with effect from Tuesday, to facilitate the online procurement of property records by the allottees. The application would be extended later to cover e-payment services, such as making payments towards the allotted sites, payment user charges, viewing availability of sites with different authorities, etc.The Chief Minister directed the department to initiate the process of identification and scrutiny of beneficiaries for free houses under the Mukhya Mantri Awaas Yojana. It was also decided to implement the poll promise of 30 per cent reservation for SCs in all future allotments, besides subsidised loans to families for buying/improving MIG housing. The meeting agreed to bring in a new need-based policy for LIG housing.Taking note of the grievances of owners of marriage palaces, the Chief Minister asked the department to meet the stakeholders and take their views.Among the other key decisions taken at the meeting were single-window clearance for small investors in five major cities, fixing of reasonable reserve prices for plots and sites, review of policy to allow medium sized real estate housing project, inclusion of EWS residential projects in industrial zones in all master plans and moratorium on the payment of EDC due extended for the calendar year 2017.

Capt: Power at Rs 5 per unit to all

Month in office, says promises will be met

Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh

Ruchika M Khanna

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 17

All power consumers in Punjab — industrial, domestic and commercial — will get power at Rs 5 per unit. Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh has made it clear that no category of consumers will have to pay more than Rs 5 per unit as tariff.    The decision comes despite the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) seeking a hike in tariff and the Punjab State Electricity Regulatory Commission recommending the same.(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)The government does not have resources to subsidise the state’s power utilities. Nor can it burden the utilities by lowering the power rates. Hence, to fulfil its election promise of providing cheaper power, it is likely to resort to purchasing more power from private players. Talking to The Tribune, the CM said that by providing cheap power at Rs 5 per unit, Punjab would become the second cheapest power provider in the country after Himachal Pradesh. “The Mahindras are willing to provide power at Rs 1.50 per unit and Reliance Power at Rs 1.75 per unit. We will revisit all power purchase agreements and buy power at the cheapest rate possible. Isn’t it strange that the PSPCL sells surplus power at the power grid at Rs 3.40 per unit, but supplies power to the industry at Rs 8.60 per unit,” he remarked. As of now, the power tariff across various sections of consumers varies between Rs 5.53 per unit to Rs 8.60. Capt Amarinder, who completes one month in office tomorrow, said he had been trying to resurrect the state’s economy. “We have to cut down on government expenditure drastically. The Expenditure and Governance Reforms Commission will suggest how to go about it. Meanwhile, we have already embarked on our journey to boost revenue receipts. For this, I have met industry captains who have assured us of investing in Punjab. “In May first week, you will see the Sonalika Group opening its plant with an investment of Rs 1,000 crore. HMEL, which runs the Bathinda refinery, too is investing another Rs 22,000 crore while Swaraj Tractors has sought land to start another manufacturing unit, which could be near Bathinda. This will help create jobs and give us more revenue by way of taxes.”He said the government was looking at increasing revenue through plugging loopholes in tax collections, adding that the Goods and Services Tax that would be rolled out this year would also lend buoyancy to the collections.Amarinder Singh, reiterating his commitment to meet other promises made in the party manifesto, said smartphones to jobless youth would be provided by a leading telecom operator and five lakh youth given employment in the next five years via Uber and Ola taxi services. “ICICI will provide finance to buy these cars while the Mahindra group has promised us electric cars. Mini bus permits will be given to unemployed youth and they will be enrolled in a scheme under which 25,000 tractors will be given for custom farming,” he said, adding that none of the poll promises would burden the exchequer.

Roadmap for punjab

• Govt to slash expenditure drastically; plug loopholes in tax collections
• Goods and Services Tax to lend buoyancy to revenue collections
• Leading telecom operator to provide smartphones to jobless youth
• 5 lakh youth to get jobs in next five years via Uber and Ola taxi services
• ICICI to provide finance for these cars; Mahindra group to give electric cars
• Mini bus permits for unemployed youth; 25,000 to get tractors for custom farming

Amarjit Singh Samra appointed Markfed chairman

Chandigarh, April 18

Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Tuesday appointed senior Congress leader Amarjit Singh Samra as the chairman, Markfed, with immediate effect.Announcing this here on Tuesday, the CMO’s spokesperson said the orders of Samra’s appointment as Markfed chairman had been issued.Samra had earlier served as Revenue and Rehabilitation Minister in the Amarinder Singh government from 2002-07.

Akali-BJP govt’s Rs46,000-cr expenditure under lens

KR Lakhanpal, Chief, expenditure and governance reforms commission

Ruchika M Khanna

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 17

A whopping Rs46,000 crore spent by the Akali-BJP government is under the scanner of the newly constituted Expenditure and Governance Reforms Commission headed by KR Lakhanpal, former chief secretary and confidant of Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh.The Commission, constituted just 10 days ago, held its first meeting with Amarinder here this evening. The Commission is first looking at the Rs31,000 crore term loan taken by the previous government to clear the food grain account along with the state adopting the UDAY scheme.The previous government led by Parkash Singh Badal had decided to take over the loan of Rs22,000 crore taken by the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) under the Ujjawal Discom Assurance Yojana (UDAY) of which the state had already taken over Rs15,000 crore. Together, the two have put an additional debt burden of Rs46,000 crore on the exchequer.Sources say that Lakahnpal has already met top Finance Department officials since his appointment. The commission finding the exact magnitude of the gap between the principal amount in the foodgrain credit account and the interest charged which led to the amount ballooning to Rs31,000 crore.The terms of settlement of the loan requires the state to float bonds to repay the loan and the interest being charged on the loan as well as the interest at which the state government is allowed to float the bond so that extra charges levied can be salvaged. A third party audit of both these accounts will be conducted and an acclaimed auditor will be hired.Lakhanpal told The Tribune that the commission was still in the process of ascertaining the major sources of expenditure and curb any wasteful expenditure. “The idea is not to find fault with anybody but to react to the problem the state is facing and find a way out,” he said, adding that purpose of the commission is to give a boost to the state’s fiscal health.Sources say that the CM raised the issue of huge committed liabilities of the government which account for almost 65 per cent of its revenue and has asked the Expenditure Commission to identify areas where expenses can be curtailed and where money can be spent “wisely”.QUOTEThe commission is still in the process of ascertaining the major sources of expenditure and curb any wasteful expenditure. The idea is not to find fault with anybody, but to react to the problem the state is facing and find a way out. —KR Lakhanpal, chief, expenditure and governance reforms commission 

90 ACPs, DSPs shifted

Chandigarh: The state government on Monday issued transfer and posting orders of 90 Assistant Commissioners of Police and Deputy Superintendents of Police-level police officers on administrative grounds with immediate effect. The orders have been issued as per the old system of posting DSPs according to the Assembly constituency system. — TNS

UPSC panel to okay 15 IAS cadre posts

Chandigarh: With 1993-batch IAS officer KJS Cheema yet to be sent back to his parent cadre, the Punjab Government has asked the state Auditor General to find out how the officer kept drawing salary even after the Centre had disallowed his continuation in the state on deputation. Cheema had served as the Special Principal Secretary to the then Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal. He was posted as Secretary, Freedom Fighters, after the Congress government took over. A West Bengal-cadre officer, Cheema has been on deputation in Punjab since 2007, when the Akali-BJP government took over. Sources in the Personnel Department confirmed that the file had been moved to seek the Auditor General’s assistance. — TNS

GURU RAM DAS JEE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

Sidhu urged to help begin int’l flights

Sri Guru Ram Das Jee International Airport. File photo

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, April 17

At a meeting held with representatives of the Amritsar Vikas Manch at Chandigarh, Punjab Local Bodies, Tourism and Culture Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu asked the Central Government to stop discrimination with the Sri Guru Ram Das Jee International Airport and start direct international flights immediately.Sameep Singh Gumtala of the AVM said the holy city being a spiritual and cultural centre of the Sikh religion is a preferred destination for the Punjabi diaspora and foreign tourists.Since the start of the Delhi-Amritsar-Birmingham-Toronto flight in May 2005, occupancy was approximately 92 per cent from Amritsar. With privatisation of the Delhi airport in 2010, these flights were re-routed from Delhi. Due to this, international traffic that was approximately 75 per cent of the total traffic till 2009 took a big hit and became 75 per cent domestic and only 25 per cent direct international passengers.He said Sidhu highlighted that Delhi is the only airport in the country that is charging double User Development Fee (UDF) per passenger both for landing and departure, but still Air India and other international carriers are paying this fee and operating maximum flights from Delhi.He said Delhi Airport is recovering Rs 300 crore every month through these charges, and at this rate, by March 2019, it would have collected Rs. 17157.15 crore against the originally targeted Rs 7709.61 crore.On the other hand, Amritsar airport suffered a loss of Rs 50 crore last fiscal.Gumtala said it was high time that the government should take initiative and initiate strict action to bring the local airport in profit, which would not only reduce the inconvenience caused to the public at large, but would also utilize the public money the best possible way.There are many foreign carriers like Emirates, Etihad, Oman Air, Air Asia, Lufthansa, British Airways, Turkish, etc. who have already shown their interest to fly from Amritsar, but bilateral agreements of seat sharing and other policies of government are a hindrance in starting of these flights, which the government should look into and try bringing these airlines to the Amritsar airport by any means, he said.

SAD asked for commission, we ask for development: Manpreet

DCC president Mohan Lal Jhumba presents a sword to MLA Manpreet Singh Badal during a ceremony in Bathinda on Sunday. A Tribune photo

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, April 16

State Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal today attacked former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and former Deputy Chief Minister and SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal for putting their personal benefits by ignoring the benefits of the public.Addressing a gathering of party leaders and workers at a religious ceremony organised by District Congress Committee president Mohan Lal Jhumba, the minister said: “While the SAD also spoke to corporate houses and big industrial houses, its leaders asked for commission from companies. The Congress is also in talks with industrial houses, but we are asking for development and opening up of employment avenues for residents of the state.”Attacking the SAD president, the minister said: “SAD leaders thought that they developed the state by building flyovers and laying roads while they ignored the real issues of drug peddling, unemployment and poverty in the state. Private companies which were given civic works on an outsourcing basis have been lagging behind and the party will look into the matter. This is also the case with several works of the Municipal Corporation Bathinda (MCB).”Assuring the residents of the Bathinda urban constituency, the minister said the works which were of importance to the state were pertaining to civic amenities and as he had promised, soon an industry would be set up in Bathinda.He also assured the public that he would be in his constituency twice a week when he would meet people and address their problems and on the remaining days, party leaders and workers would do the same on his behalf.Narendra Bhuleria, Gurpeet Singh Kangar, Chiranji Lal Garg, Dr Satpal Bhateja, Rajan Garg, Rupinder Bindra, Pawan Mani, Darshan singh Ghudda, Arvind Garg, Surinder Gupta, Charanjti Walia and Vijay Goyal were among those others present at the ceremony.

Parliament’s Standing Committee ‘anguished’ at neglect of personnel securing frontiers

Vijay Mohan

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 15

While the sanctity of the international borders continues to be a cause for concern with increasing number of ceasefire violations, infiltration attempts and smuggling, the service condition of the men tasked with guarding the border leave a lot to be desired.Expressing “deep anguish” over the neglect of basic necessities to Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) personnel deployed on border guarding duties, Parliament’s Standing Committee on Home Affairs has, in its report tabled on April 11, pointed out that inadequate rest, lack of basic amenities in border outposts (BOPs), poor infrastructure and deficient equipment are among issues that need to be addressed urgently.The Home Ministry’s submission that a jawan gets minimum of six hours of uninterrupted sleep in every cycle of 24 hours is at variance with the facts observed and learnt by the committee during its visit to border areas, the report said.“The committee is anguished to observe that the flawed system leaves grossly insufficient time for jawans to get decent rest and sleep. The committee is concerned to note that due to shortage of manpower, jawans are forced to perform 16-18 hours of duty in a day,” the report added.In some areas such as Rajasthan, jawans have to travel for more two hours to and from their patrolling location, leaving them with no more than two to three hours for rest before their second shift.This was taking a toll on their health, apart from leaving them fatigued during their patrolling duty, the Committee observed.During its visit to Pakistan and Bangladesh borders, manned by the Border Security Force, the committee found that the conventional BOPs lacked basic facilities.Pointing out that only 422 out of 1,901 BOPs had good facilities, the committee was “constrained” to observe that several BOPs did not have even the most essential facilities such as provision for filtered drinking water or proper barracks. “It is inhuman to make jawans live and sleep without a fan in the BOPs,” the committee said.During its visits, the committee found that in Punjab, the road connectivity in border areas was very bad, which could significantly slow down the movement of forces and cause hardships during an emergency.The BSF has projected a requirement of 700 km of road links in Punjab. Further, widespread illegal sand mining in border areas of Punjab had also worsened the road conditions.

Report findings

• Due to shortage of manpower, jawans are forced to perform 16 to 18 hours of duty in a day, taking a toll on their health
• Only 422 out of 1,901 conventional border outposts have basic facilities, while most lack drinking water or proper barracks
• Road connectivity in border areas of Punjab is poor, which may slow down the movement of forces and cause hardships during an emergency

The proposal will provide convenient and economical transport to people travelling within and outside India. tribune file photo

Gagan K Teja

Tribune News Service

Patiala, April 12

Passengers to IGI Airport, Delhi, will benefit as Pepsu Road Transport Corporation (PRTC) has prepared a proposal to extend the route of all Delhi-bound buses till the airport.The proposal will provide convenient and economical transport to people travelling to and out of India.So far, 30 PRTC buses, including ordinary, HVAC and super intergal coaches, go to the Inter State Bus Terminus, Delhi, everyday from different depots from Patiala, Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Amritsar and Bathinda.In terms of distance, the buses will only have to cover a distance of about 20 extra km and the corporation does not require a special permit for it as it already has permission to link with any destination in Delhi. Moreover, even the bus fares would be almost the same.On the other hand, private Volvo owners are charging Rs 1,500 to Rs 3,000 from Rajpura to Delhi airport which is ideally the shortest distance from Punjab to Delhi airport and the PRTC fare from Patiala to Delhi is Rs 250 for ordinary buses, Rs 415 for HVAC buses and Rs 570 the Scania luxury buses. The latter fare is just one-third of a Volvo coach.Moreover, the corporation has also sought the addition of 20 heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) buses and super integral coaches to its fleet with immediate affect so that they can provide comfortable travel to its passengers during the summers.PRTC managing director Manjit Singh Narang informed that there is a huge demand for starting buses to Delhi airport from different depots, hence, the proposal.A large number of people from Punjab commute to Delhi airport everyday and they have to spend huge amounts for the same. While they end up spending at least Rs 5,000 in case of cabs, traveling by PRTC buses would be a huge relief. “Moreover, such move will also boost our revenue,” he pointed out.

Awarding of death sentence to Kulbhushan Jadhav in Pakistan shows how the country’s military court system rides “roughshod” over international standards, Amnesty International on Monday said.In a strongly-worded statement, the rights body said military courts are an inherently “abusive system” that are best left to deal with issues of military discipline, not any other crime.”The death sentence given to Kulbushan Jadhav shows yet again how Pakistan’s military court system rides roughshod over international standards. Stripping defendants of their rights and operating in notorious secrecy, military courts do not dispense justice…,” said Biraj Patnaik, South Asia Director of Amnesty International.Amnesty opposes the death penalty at all times and in all circumstances, regardless of who is accused, the crime, guilt or innocence, or the method of execution, he added.The statement came in reaction to the Pakistan army chief approving execution of Jadhav for his “involvement in espionage and sabotage activities” in that country. — PTI

The IAF carries out a rescue operation in Poonch.

Jammu, April 7

The Indian Air Force (IAF) today came to the rescue of people trapped in the floods in Poonch after heavy rain lashed the district.A group of people were stranded on a small strip of land in the middle of the swollen Poonch river. The water around the land strip was increasing with every passing hour and rescue efforts by the local authorities were turning out to be futile. Realising the enormity of the situation, the district administration requested the IAF for assistance.Defence PRO said that at 12 pm, the ‘Condors’ (a Mi-17 1V helicopter unit in Jammu) was tasked with the rescue. The unit technicians prepared and launched the helicopter for the rescue mission within 30 minutes. The crew got airborne by 1 pm, but heavy rain and lightning en route forced them to return to Jammu. It took off again at 5 pm. Itnavigated to the distress location and identified two islands in the middle of the raging river.“Due to the proximity of huts and electricity wires, the helicopter couldn’t land and established a hover on the first island at 15 feet. IAF Garud Commandos bravely went down a rope ladder and started rescuing the villagers one by one,” the defence PRO said.A total of 17 villagers, including a baby, were rescued by the IAF. The crew then flew to Poonch, where it was received by the Army. — TNS

Army saves pregnant woman  Srinagar: Army men and locals came to the rescue of a pregnant woman in north Kashmir when the ambulance in which she was travelling got stuck near Malpura village on the Bandipora-Srinagar highway. “The Army with the help of locals managed to rescue the stuck ambulance and ensured its safe movement from an alternate route,” an Army spokesman said. The woman gave birth to a healthy baby boy at Lal Ded Hospital in Srinagar, he added. The Army carried out rescue operations in other parts of the Valley. tNS

Army school celebrates Health Day

Tribune News Service

Jammu, April 7

Army Public School, Jammu Cantt, today celebrated World Health Day on the theme ‘Depression’. The day began with a special assembly in which students presented a skit on the ill-effects of junk food.Maj Gen Nilendra Kumar, ADG, National Cadet Corps (NCC), J&K Directorate, visited and inspired students to lead a disciplined life, become responsible citizens and help in nation building. He said the NCC was a platform where students reformed themselves as it focused on character and confidence building.

THIS WAS THE THIRD SUCH VIOLATION IN THE PAST 24 HOURS

JAMMU : Pakistan on Tuesday shelled Indian posts along the Line of Control (LoC) in Bhimber Gali sector of Rajouri district in Jammu and Kashmir, prompting India to retaliate in equal measure.

This was the third such violation in the past 24 hours. Rajouri is 150 kms northwest of Jammu.

Defence spokesperson Lt Col Manish Mehta said Pakistani troops opened unprovoked firing at 11am on Tuesday on Indian Army posts along the LoC in Bhimber Gali sector in Rajouri.

He informed that Pakistan resorted to “indiscriminate” firing of small arms, automatic weapons and also shot 82 mm mortars.

Indian Army posts retaliated strongly and the gun battle stopped at around 11:50 am, he added.

In March, Pakistan had violated the truce four times along the LoC in Poonch district.

On Monday, Pakistan fired and shelled forward posts in Poonch and Rajouri districts of J&K.

Reports of exchange of firing between the armed forces of the two countries are routine along the LoC.

Both the countries accuse each other of repeatedly violating a 2003 ceasefire.

There have been several instances of cross-border firings and terrorist infiltrations within the country from Pakistan.

On Saturday, a Junior Commissioned Officer, Naib Subedar S Sanayaima, was killed in an IED blast in Degwar sector of Poonch district.

In 2016, as many as 228 instances of ceasefire violations along the LoC were reported.

Furthermore, there were 221 instances of ceasefire violations along the International Border (IB).

Iran upset at Raheel Sharif heading Saudi military alliance

ISLAMABAD: Iran has expressed reservations about the appointment of former Pakistan Army chief Gen Raheel Sharif as head of the Islamic Military Alliance created by Saudi Arabia, prompting Islamabad to step up efforts to assuage Tehran.

“We are concerned about this issue…that it may impact the unity of Islamic countries,” Mehdi Honardoost, Iran’s envoy to Pakistan, said. This was the first time Iran publicly expressed its displeasure on the issue.

Pakistan contacted Iranian officials before issuing a no-objection certificate to Sharif to take up the position of head of the 39-nation military alliance, but this “did not indicate that Iran was satisfied with this decision or it had accepted the same”, Honardoost was quoted as saying by state-run IRNA news agency.

Defence minister Khawaja Asif had earlier said the Pakistan government had cleared Sharif to take up the job following a formal request from Saudi Arabia.

Islamabad’s decision is set to further complicate fraught Pakistan-Iran relations, especially at a time when Saudi Arabia and Iran are jockeying for influence in the Middle East.

Foreign secretary Tehmina Janjua said on Tuesday the alliance wasn’t against any country and Sharif will not act against Iran. She told a parliamentary committee on foreign affairs: “The Islamic alliance is against terrorism, not any country.” She said Pakistan is making efforts to reduce tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran. “It is difficult for Pakistan to maintain equal relations with both countries but Pakistan will not go against Iran’s interests,” she said.

Pakistani officials confirmed they intend to reach out to Iran to address their concerns. Officials told the media that Pakistan has informed Saudi Arabia that it would not become part of any campaign against any country, including Iran. Members of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) that opposed India joining on procedural grounds “are now on board”, a German diplomatic source said.

The NSG consultative committee discussing Indian membership is currently holding proceedings. “Germany supports its proceedings,” the source said.

Austria, Ireland, Switzerland, Turkey and New Zealand are known to have objected to India’s candidature on the ground that there is no agreed upon procedure for it to become a member. Some reports indicated Brazil too had objected, though this was denied by Indian officials.

This would indicate China is isolated in the NSG. Beijing is believed to be opposing India’s membership as a favour to Islamabad, which fears that once India joins, there will be no possibility of Pakistan becoming a member.

Sukma CRPF martyr Ranjeet Kumar’s mother at his funeral in Sheikhpura, Bihar. File photo

New Delhi, April 28

In a unique initiative, IAS officers will adopt families of security personnel who lost their lives in Maoist combat, anti-terror operations or while maintaining law and order.The bureaucrats will approach such families within their area of posting and offer themselves as facilitators to help them (families) get their dues like pension, gratuity or allotment of services like petrol pump, jobs, etc, an association representing them said today. The officers, however, would not be providing any direct financial help to such families, it said.“Their job would be to help the families get their dues from respective governments. They may also help the children in such families to get admission in a school,” Sanjay Bhoosreddy, honorary secretary of the Indian Civil and Administrative Service (Central) Association, said.The association represents all members of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS).Initially, about 700 young officers of the past four batches — 2012 to 2015 —will be asked to adopt at least one family in the area of their posting. “Senior officers, or those from state civil services, can also adopt such families voluntarily,” Bhoosreddy, a Joint-Secretary-level IAS officer, said. The officers will oversee whether the support (both in cash and kind) pledged by the state or local governments has been provided to the family concerned. — PTI

Amritsar, April 26

Ranjit Singh Brahmpura, Member of Parliament from Kahdoor Sahib, has announced Rs 5 lakh for the family of Raghbir Singh, Inspector, CRPF, who was killed in a Naxal attack in Chhattisgarh’s Sukna district on Monday. Brahmpura visited Sathiala and paid tributes to the martyr. — TNS

The Dalai Lama at the Professor ML Sondhi Prize for International Politics-2016 in New Delhi. MR Bhui

Ravi S Singh

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 27Tibet’s spiritual leader the Dalai Lama today said China would desist from military confrontation with India considering the latter’s military and geographical might.While receiving “Professor ML Sondhi Prize for International Politics-2016”, the Dalia Lama ruled out China’s mis-adventurism against India and said the neighbouring country was a “totalitarian which has not much future. Its leaders are fighting how to retain power”. On China’s belligerence over his recent visit to Arunachal Pradesh, he said: “India is not a small country; militarily it is gaining.”“When they (China) think of indulging in conflict with India, they will have also to think of the simmering unrest in Tibet,” the spiritual leader said. He described the Chinese reaction as “sad” and “unusual”. He said India had a right on the environmental issues and ecology of Tibet. Hence, it should raise the issue of the Brahmaputra, which originates in Tibet, with Chinese authorities.Several reports say the Chinese regime has been tampering with the flow of the river by diverting its course.Prof Sondhi, a native of Punjab, was Bharatiya Jana Sangh MP from Delhi (1967-71). Earlier, he was in the India Foreign Service from which he resigned and joined Jawaharlal Nehru University to become Professor at International Affairs. The award was instituted by the Professor ML Sondhi Memorial Trust and the ML Sondshi Institute for Asia-Pacific Affairs in 2003. Former Union Minister Arun Shourie presented the award and addressed the gathering, besides former Foreign Secretary Lalit Mansingh and Madhur Santanam Sondhi.