Three domestic airports fail to take wing

Only three flights a week to Delhi GROUNDED Opened with much fanfare, domestic airports in Bathinda, Ludhiana and Pathankot have failed to live up to their early promise. They have remained non­functional for long periods with no domestic flights or have

BATHINDA: The small domestic airport in Bathinda remained nonfunctional for three years, but has finally got three flights a week to Delhi.

SANJEEV KUMAR//HTThe security at Bathinda airport has been handed to Punjab Police.

AAI OFFICIALS REMAIN TIGHT­LIPPED OVER THE FINANCIAL VIABILITY OF RUNNING OPERATIONS WITH A THRICE­A­WEEK FLIGHT ONLY

Air India’s regional arm Alliance Air started the Delhi-Bathinda-Delhi flight in December 2016, barely months before the state assembly elections, and has sustained 50-55% occupancy. Set up in 2012 at a cost of ₹25 crore, the airport shares the runway of the adjoining Indian Air Force base for the 70-seater ATR-72 aircraft thrice a week — Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

Air Alliance manager Ramesh Ram gives credit to the Centre’s “regional connectivity scheme” which has helped reduce the air fare from ₹2,800 to ₹1,700 for the Delhi-Bathinda-Delhi flight. “The subsidy is paid by the government and may help introduce more flights from here” he said.

However, officials of the Airports Authority of India (AAI) were tight-lipped over the financial viability of running the operations with a thrice-a-week flight only. The airport does not have a single tuck shop, whereas the airport security has been handed to Punjab Police who are paid by the AAI. The airport still awaits its own dedicated road. The travellers have to cover a distance of 8 kilometres on the existing link road to reach the airport that is just 1.5km off the Bathinda-Malout state highway. A dedicated road was proposed in 2012, but the idea was dropped in absence of any flight for three years.

Non-operational since 2014, waiting for ‘Udan’

LUDHIANA : It was almost three years ago that the last domestic flight landed at the Sahnewal airport which is being currently used only for operating chartered flights.

But the airport authorities have now pinned hopes on the regional air connectivity scheme, UDAN, for revival of the domestic flight operations. Airlines have already started surveying the airport and domestic flights are expected to commence by September this year, according to airport officials. The repair work at the airport has started and the contractor has been asked to complete it by August.

The airport, which has a runaway of 1,463 metres feasible for a 42-seater aircraft, has turned into a white elephant. There is hardly any revenue, as no flight was operated since 2014. Business houses have been using the airport to park their chartered planes. The airport authorities have been charging only ₹72 per night, which is even lower than the car parking charges at a shopping mall.

Amardeep Nehra, officiating airport director, said the airport is fully functional and Doppler VHR omni-directional radio range (DVOR) has been installed. The airport has antihijacking staff, besides its own security force and fire brigade personnel. Scanning machines are also expected to be installed shortly.

6 years on, not a single flight

PATHANKOT: With not a single domestic flight in the past six years, the airport in Pathankot wears a deserted look.

HT PHOTORunway at Pathankot airport is being used by army to transports goods, personnel off and on.

Built at a cost of ₹37 crore almost 11 years ago, the airport, which has a “ready to use” airstrip and proper infrastructure, had domestic flight operations for the initial two-and-a-half years. Air Deccan, a private airline, ran its service, but suspended its operations due to poor occupancy on its flights.

Later, Air India also agreed to operate on this sector and started its flights in 2010, thanks to concerted efforts of then MP from Gurdaspur and former Union minister Vinod Khanna. But it did not carry on for long. The airline halted its operations from the airport a year later, citing losses. And, there has not been any domestic flight since then.

The runway of the airport is being used by the army to transports goods and personnel off and on. There is also an occasional chartered flight carrying VIPs and film actors, especially during the poll season.

Rajesh Pushkarna, a local businessman, blames the flight schedules for the failure of airlines to do well on this sector. “The flight timings were not suitable for business travellers and others who wanted to reach Delhi and return in the evening the same day,” he said.

SIDHU GIVES ₹5 LAKH FOR FIREFIGHTERS’ TREATMENT

LUDHIANA: Minister of local government, tourism and cultural affairs Navjot Singh Sidhu visited the injured firefighters admitted to the Christian Medical College and Hospital (CMCH) in Ludhiana on Friday evening and apologised on the behalf of the government for not providing them safety gear.Sidhu said Ludhiana municipal corporation commissioner has already issued a cheque for ₹4 lakh to the hospital for treatment of the injured firefighters, who suffered burn injuries while dousing flames in a textile mill on Thursday. He also announced ₹5 lakh from his pocket for their treatment. Sidhu said if the hospital bill doesn’t exceed ₹4 lakh, which have been already paid by MC, he will give ₹1 lakh to each to the firefighters admitted to the hospital.

‘State in deeper financial mess than what we initially thought’

Dwelling on the solution, the former chief secretary said this is structural imbalance, not a cyclical imbalance. “You need structural correctives. As they say, economy is not in sparing the expenditure, but spending the money wisely. Whatever we have needs to be spent wisely on the felt needs of people. With resources being limited, prioritisation is important. There is a need to be careful about new projects,” he said.

The commission chairman said his suggestion to the state government would be to make the already made investments productive, whether it is drinking water, sanitation etc.

Capt seeks fresh analysis of Punjab river waters

SYL ROW Amarinder Singh says most water­sharing agreements with neighbouring states were annulled by Punjab government in 2004

From page 01 CHANDIGARH: Punjab chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh, on Friday, suggested a fresh analysis of Sutlej, Ravi and Beas waters and requested the neighbouring states to cooperate.

The chief minister was speaking during the 28th meeting of the Northern Zonal Council held here, which was attended by representatives of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Union Territory, Chandigarh and New Delhi. The meeting was chaired by Union home minister Rajnath Singh.

“There is a consensus building up among the states for a reanalysis (of waters in the Sutlej). Haryana CM has accepted the proposal for reassessment under the supervision of the Centre,” chief secretary (CS) of Punjab Karan A Singh told mediapersons after the meeting. The secretary in the interstate secretariat (of the home department) at the Centre Sanjeevani Kutty also attended the meeting.

Punjab and Haryana are on a warpath on waters, as Haryana is seeking the construction of the Sutlej Yamuna Link (SYL) canal to take water from Punjab, while the latter is objecting to the canal on the plea that the quantity of water has reduced drastically over the past three decades since the SYL canal proposal was put forth. A case is pending in the Supreme Court.

“Punjab CM requested Haryana for an out-of-court settlement on the dispute,” said Punjab chief secretary.

However, the CM did not make a direct reference to the SYL, said the CS. “The officials of the union water resources ministry met officers from the states (separately) on the SYL issue on April 20,” he said, answering a query, adding that the Centre had to convey to both the states whether the meeting was open-ended or discussions had closed.

He also informed the media that Amarinder Singh also told the meeting that most watersharing agreements (with neighbouring states), signed in 1980s, were annulled by the Punjab government in 2004. Things now have changed drastically, so there was need to reanalyse the quantity of water.

Besides Union home minister Rajnath Singh, the others, who attended the meeting, included Punjab governor and UT administrator VP Singh Badnore, Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar, Delhi lt governor Anil Baijal, J&K deputy chief minister Nirmal Kumar Singh, Himachal Pradesh health minister Thakur Kaul Singh and Rajasthan water resources minister Ram Pratap.

‘SHOW COMPASSION FOR J&K YOUTH’

Home minister Rajnath Singh also asked all northern states to deal with the youth from Jammu and Kashmir, who have come to these states to work or study with compassion and soft hand. “We need to extend warmth to them, the home minister said,” informed Sanjeevani Kutty.

Cong MLAs express displeasure over police functioning in state

I will not interfere in the government functioning, but no one can deny the oversight SUNIL JAKHAR, Punjab Congress chief

CHANDIGARH: Punjab Police has come under fire yet again from the Congress quarters with many legislators expressing their displeasure before chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh, alleging interference from Akali Dal in the functioning of police.

During a lunch meeting hosted by the CM on Wednesday for an interaction with the MLAs from Bathinda, Faridkot, Mansa and Ferozepur, the issue was raised by the legislators.

“While raking up the issue, some of the leaders alleged that senior police officers were still getting directions from former deputy chief minister Sukhbir Badal,” said an MLA on the condition of anonymity.

Speaking to Hindustan Times, a minister said: “Since chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh is not directly involved in postings, senior cops are adjusting their favourites on the key posts. When a politician recommends an official, it becomes controversial.”

“But when he manages things through his sources in the department, it is deemed upright.” added the minister.

A Congress MLA cited an “example” of Ferozepur when a SAD leader sitting on a dharna against attack on Akali workers allegedly by the Congress, “with complete authority called up senior police officials and they were heard taking directions from Sukhbir”.

Another MLA cited example of deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Rampura Phull Gurjit Singh Romana, who had worked closely with former minister Sikander Singh Malooka. “When Congress formed the government, Romana was transferred as DSP Bhucho.

Later, he was transferred as DSP (City) Bathinda in the third list of transfers, when a few Congress MLAs raised the issue,” he said.

This is not the first delegation that has expressed resentment over police postings in the state.

“A few days back, I met former SAD MLA Sarabjit Singh Makkar in a function where he had come with an assistant sub-inspector and six commandoes of the Punjab Police,” said a Jalandhar MLA

“I called up additional director general of police (security), who forwarded my complaint to a senior official in Jalandhar Police Commissoinerate. Within five minutes, the senior officer called up Makkar to inform him about the complaint,” added the Jalandhar MLA.

A senior party leader rued, “Punjab Police Service officer Ravinderpal Singh Sandhu, who was assistant commissioner of police (Jalandhar West) during the SAD-BJP regime and had allegedly slapped cases against Sushil Rinku (now Congress MLA from West), was posted as SP Phagwara- a key posting,”

KK Sharma is new PRTC chief

PATIALA :KK Sharma, a close confidant of chief minister (CM) Captain Amarinder Singh, took over the charge as chairman of Pepsu Road Transport Corporation (PRTC), in the presence of former Union minister Preneet Kaur, on Friday.

BHARAT BHUSHAN/HTFormer Union minister Preneet Kaur blessing KK Sharma after he took over the charge as the PRTC chairman in Patiala on Friday.

Soon after his joining, Sharma listed his top priorities including adding 100 new buses in the present fleet of 1,045 buses.

He also announced addition of 25 new heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) buses to the fleet of the PRTC while bus connectivity to Chandigarh from every district of Punjab is also on the cards.

“The poor policies and ignorant attitude towards the corporation by the SAD-BJP government has pushed the institution into acute financial crisis,” he said, adding, “The required steps will be taken to improve public transport facility across the state, besides uplifting its financial conditions.”

Sharma added that strict action will be taken against illegal buses plying on the roads. Besides, unemployed youth would be provided permits of mini buses so as to generate employment for them.

Contractual workers to boycott 300 new buses under kilometre scheme

LUDHIANA: In an all out defiance of the state transport department’s proposal to introduce 300 new buses under the kilometer scheme, around 4,000 employees of Punjab Roadways state contract workers’ union have decided not to serve in buses under this scheme.

JS GREWAL/HT FILE4,000 employees of Punjab Roadways take decision.Calling it “a breeding ground for corruption”, they said buses under this scheme directly benefited private bus operators. The state transport department lost out on crores of revenue “deliberately”.

The state transport policy states that 40% routes will be given to private players while 60% will be retained by state transport. However, the scenario during Akali rule (19972002, 2007-2012 and 2012-2017) was inverse as the lion’s share between 60 and 70 % went to private players, weakening the financial health of the state transport department. For routes to rural areas, the ratio was 20:80 (20 roadways and 80 private) but to favour the private players, mini buses were allowed to ply on almost all profitable routes in the rural belt across the state.

Union president Bhagat Singh said, “Framing a transport policy that favours private bus operators has become a norm in the state, thanks to the previous Akali government. The new Congress government, instead of introducing government buses under Punjab Roadways, is busy holding deliberations to introduce 300 new buses under the kilometer scheme which will be run by private players while conductors will be hired from state transport.”

“If buses under this scheme hit the roads, contractual employees will not work in these buses. It will be a complete boycott from our side. The scheme is an all-out attack against job regularisation and will further delay it.”

REGULAR EMPLOYEES OPPOSED TO SCHEME

Even regular employees of Punjab Roadways have vehemently opposed the kilometre scheme. But they have ruled out any possibility of a boycott.

All India Trade Union Congress member Jagdeesh Chahal said, “Though we strongly oppose the kilometre scheme, we will take a final decision on whether to render services or not in our next meeting.”

There are more than 4,000 contract workers in Punjab Roadways who have decided to not render services to the buses under the kilometre scheme.

Sources said things had barely changed after the new government assumed charge and the state transport department still continued to bear the onslaught of a monopoly by private players that was prevalent during the SAD-BJP regime.

They added that private bus operators under the kilometre scheme were barely concerned about passenger base as they were paid according to kilometres travelled, causing a huge loss to public transport.

Running buses directly under its umbrella rather than roping in private players will garner maximum revenue to the state transport and will discourage corruption which was inherent during previous government’s rule, said union members.

Capt for 60:40 ratio in govt posts of UT

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 12

Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh today took up the issue of the share of the state in government posts in Chandigarh. Taking up the issue at the 28th meeting of the Northern Zonal Council (NZC) here today, he sought instructions to the UT to implement the 60:40 ratio decided during the re-organisation of the state. Punjab Chief Secretary Karan Avtar Singh said the CM requested the Union Home Minister to look into the matter.It was pointed out that as per the spirit of the Punjab Re-organisation Act, all  posts were to be filled according to the 60:40 ratio from states of Punjab and Haryana but, without consulting the states, the UT was filling posts from its own cadre.

Drugs: CM seeks help from other states

Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh welcomes Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh during a meeting of the Northern Zonal Council in Chandigarh on Friday as Punjab Governor VP Singh Badnore looks on. Tribune photo

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 12

Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh today sought Centre’s help in increasing vigilance by central forces to check cross-border drug smuggling, and asked for greater cooperation with Rajasthan, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and Jammu and Kashmir to destroy the cultivation of poppy and cannabis.At the 28th meeting of the Northern Zonal Council meeting here, he underlined the need to combat the drug menace in an organised manner.The Chief Minister sought to put an end to smuggling of narcotic substances from areas, where poppy and cannabis are being cultivated legally for pharmaceutical and related purposes. Sharing of information and initiating criminal action against smugglers should be promoted, he said. The CMurged Rajasthan to shift poppy husk vends situated near border villages of Punjab.Seeks more share in Central fundsCapt Amarinder called for greater operational freedom to states cutting across party lines. He demanded an increase of at least 50 per cent share in central funds.Wants concession under border state statusReferring to the border status of Punjab, the Chief Minister reiterated his demand for Central concessions on the lines of the fiscal and industrial concessions given to Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand.

---

Ensure safety of Kashmiri students: Rajnath to CMs Chandigarh: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday asked the Chief Ministers of the northern states to ensure the safety of Kashmiri students. The Union Minister, while referring to the attacks on Kashmiri students in different states, asked the participating states to take care of the students and provide them proper environment. Sanjeevani Kutty, Secretary in the Home Ministry, in a briefing after the meeting said while drawing attention of the states to the issue, they have been asked to implement the advisory. TNS

Capt orders recruitment of 4,000 cops

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 12

Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh today ordered filling of 4,000 police vacancies across ranks, while directing the department to ensure that 2,000 police personnel are recruited every year to fill the vacancies arising annually out of the routine retirement of cops.Chairing a meeting of Home and Police Department officials here, the Chief Minister said recruitment would carry forward the sweeping reforms being undertaken in the Police Department such as diversion of personnel from VIP duty.His government, said Capt Amarinder, was committed to providing jobs to the unemployed youth, with at least one job in each household, as promised in the run-up to the Assembly elections.The Chief Minister also directed the officials to ensure that police officials were allowed a free hand to work within the ambit of law, while also taking care to ensure that no vindictive action was resorted to by the cops at any level, right from the lowest rung at the police stations.

Sanjeev Singh Bariana

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 9

Cabinet Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu has appointed Commodore Sudip Malik (retd) as the Chief Vigilance Officer (CVO) of the Local Bodies Department.Sidhu said, “In the wake of a failed system of keeping a check on the execution of our projects, we decided to have an outsider with established credibility for audit of our job and also to keep a check. Commodore Malik has more than 20 years of service in the Indian Navy.”Having served in Larsen and Toubro (L&T), a multinational conglomerate, for more than a decade after retirement, Commodore Malik is seen as the right person to fit the bill of scrutinising the ongoing municipal projects.The CVO’s post fell vacant on April 19 after Sidhu removed Anil Kumar Kansal. He was accused of taking bribe in lieu of favouring certain officials in Vigilance reports. He was also accused of giving a clean chit to many under scrutiny in the Local Bodies Department.After Kansal was removed, Superintending Engineer (SE) Mukul Soni’s name was doing the rounds for the post. It was so because Sidhu had sent him to Bathinda to inquire into a scam in the Improvement Trust. Officially, he went to Bathinda not as an officiating CVO.An officer said Vigilance inquiries in the department had not yielded substantial findings for the past several years in spite of charges of corruption at several places across the state.

14 secretaries demoted

Chandigarh: The Local Government Department on Tuesday cancelled the promotion of 14 secretaries, reversing the decision taken by the then Local Bodies Minister Anil Joshi. Superintendents were promoted as secretaries after the announcement of the Assembly elections, sources said. An official said, “The promotion under question had come into effect just before the elections. On verification following a complaint, the promotion was found to be violating the model code of conduct.” TNS

The south portal of the Rohtang Tunnel at Dhundi, 23 km from Manali.

MC Thakur

MANALI, MAY 4

Despite unprecedented rains and snowfall, the work at the Rohtang Tunnel Project at North Portal near Sissu in Lahaul Valley is set begin on schedule, said Brig DN Bhatt, Chief Engineer, Project Rohtang Tunnel, today. This is after the opening of the 13,050-ft-high Rohtang Pass, the gateway to Lahaul-Spiti, in April end.All efforts are being made to commence the work at North Portal latest by May 15 and achieve the breakthrough by September end or the first half of October 2017. The team of the contractor has already reached North Portal to start preliminary works and digging is planned to be commenced by May 15.Stating this while interacting with The Tribune Brig DN Bhatt, said every year North Portal remained close for six months during winters due to closure of Rohtang Pass. The work of Rohtang Tunnel progressed well during the entire winter in spite of heavy snowfall and a large number of avalanches witnessed on the approach road to the South Portal. The tunnel project works did not stop even for one day at South Portal during the entire winter till date and the same has been going on in 24-hour cycle.The Chief Engineer further said at present the tunnel work at South Portal is passing through a crucial phase. Presence of poor rock strata had made it very difficult to achieve the desired pace. However, efforts are being made to cover up delay due to these geological and weather related problems by working in three shifts (24 hrs) instead of two shifts.Brig DN Bhatt said as on May 4, out of 8.85-km tunnel, the digging had been completed for 7.92 km. A 930-m stretch is left before any breakthrough could be achieved. At present pace it will take approximately 5 months. However, if there is an improvement of rock quality during digging of the remaining 930-m stretch the breakthrough may be achieved earlier.

Breakthrough expected in 5 months

• Brig DN Bhatt said as on May 4, out of 8.85 km oftunnel, the digging had been completed for 7.92 km.
• A 930-m stretch is left before any breakthrough couldbe achieved.
• At present pace it will take approximately 5 months.

Membership compels New Delhi to shed strategic ambivalence

The catch: Does India really wish to sustain a strategic dialogue with China?

THIRTY-SEVEN days remain for India to be a full member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). The meeting of the SCO Council of Foreign Ministers in Astana — on April 21 — brought to a successful conclusion the procedural formalities in regard of the admission of the grouping’s two new members from South Asia — India and Pakistan. However, there is no trace of momentous anticipation in the Indian capital. This is not really surprising.To borrow the famous passage from TS Eliot’s poem, The Hollow Men, “Between the idea/And the reality/ Between the motion/And the act/ Falls the Shadow.” Indeed, between India’s application for SCO membership in 2014 and the group’s forthcoming summit meeting on June 8-9, 2017, in Astana, some mysterious shadow has fallen. The shadow falls like an iron curtain to block the original intentions.Most certainly, the original intentions were thoughtful and purposive and were forged unhurried, incrementally and with great deliberation through almost half a decade by the previous UPA government. How far External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj was confident that Prime Minister Modi subscribed to those intentions, when she was called upon to formally submit India’s membership application at the Dushanbe summit of the group in 2014, we do not know. In all probability, she fulfilled her responsibility as India’s top diplomat.For, 18 days later, Modi visited the White House to hold his first meeting with the then US President Barack Obama. Future historians would chronicle that the four-month period from that point in end-September 2014 to end-January 2015, when Obama visited India, became a defining moment in India’s foreign policy trajectory, as it began careering away in a new direction historically. The January 2015 joint vision statement regarding the Asia-Pacific region proclaimed that India was willing to bandwagon with the US’ pivot to Asia. Since then, India-China relations have been on a downhill slope. Beijing now says that Indian policies caused “serious damage to China’s interests and China-India relations”.Meanwhile, New Delhi has been out of sync with the profound realignments unfolding in the Eurasian continent, triggered by the US-backed “regime change” in Ukraine in February 2014. An unprecedented level of coordination between Russia, China and Iran has appeared over time on issues affecting the future of the Eurasian continent, ranging from the threat posed by radical Islamist groups to energy cooperation and connectivity to China’s One-Belt One-Road initiative. It is against this tumultuous backdrop that Russia and China are keenly promoting Iran’s induction into the SCO.What emerges is that the trajectories of Indian foreign policies and leading trends in the Eurasian continent are sharply diverging. The nascent integration of Pakistan as a Eurasian partner highlights it. The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor is a game-changing project for the geopolitics of the Eurasian continent. China will most certainly bring the CPEC to the forefront of the SCO as a cornerstone of regional security and a locomotive of the multipolarity in politics. Russia and Iran will partake of it.India’s SCO membership cannot be delinked from this ongoing global rebalancing that appears simultaneously on different templates — New Cold War, Sino-American tensions, Russia-China entente, Russia-Pakistan “thaw”, and so on. Put plainly, SCO membership compels India to shed its strategic ambivalence. It is apparent that Washington and Moscow view differently the international order and its fundamental norms and rules and their own place in it. In this climate, where does India stand, which has turned its back on non-alignment and “strategic autonomy” as archaic concepts and entered into a quasi-alliance with the US?Last Wednesday at a Kremlin meeting, a top functionary from the Chinese Communist Party relayed the following message from Chinese President Xi Jinping to President Vladimir Putin: “Chinese-Russian relations are going through their best ever in our history. Today, our relations are deservedly called an example of relations between great powers, characterised by cooperation and mutual benefit. Today, our relations are very solid, mature, and are distinguished by strategic cooperation and a lasting nature…“Despite the serious changes in the international situation, we will continue to work with you unfailingly adhering to three constants, namely: regardless of the circumstances, we will not change our policy of deepening and developing our strategic partnership and cooperation; our policy, based on joint development and prosperity, will not change; and our joint efforts to defend peace and justice and promote cooperation in the world will not change.”Again, the Russia-led regional initiative on Afghanistan is in effect an enterprise comprising SCO member countries. Pakistan, which is a key player, is central to its success. India, on the other hand, feels comfortable with the US’ lead role in Afghanistan. The moment of truth arrives when India’s campaign on terrorism issues directed against Pakistan falls on deaf ears among other SCO members.The bottom line is: Does India really belong to the SCO? Unless there is a serious rethink on India’s foreign policy, it may end up as a passive onlooker within the SCO tent, or worse still, a drag on the grouping’s functioning. Of course, SCO can be a really useful platform since it provides a canopy under which India can repair the damage caused to the relations with China and impart predictability to its ties with Pakistan.Just look at the seamless possibilities of uninterruptible interaction with China and Pakistan at the level of the head of state, head of government, foreign minister, economic ministers, national security adviser, security agencies and so on annually. There have been a number of joint SCO military exercises, too, which bring together army chiefs. It doesn’t need much ingenuity to understand what a splendid opportunity these occasions provide for India to build trust and mutual confidence with China and Pakistan at the level of political leadership as well as at the military-to-military level and between spy agencies and diplomats.But then, is there serious will on the part of the Modi government to sustain a strategic dialogue with China and/or Pakistan? The opinion makers associated with the RSS-backed think tanks in Delhi are breathing fire and brimstone at China and Pakistan. Jingoism and communal polarisation enjoy primacy in the Sangh Parivar’s toolbox and tensions in India’s China-Pakistan ties easily feed into it. Therefore, it is in doubt whether the Modi government would revert to independent foreign policies even if it wants to. Paradoxically, although the US-Indian “defining partnership” is fast becoming an open cage in the Trump era, India seems to have lost the desire to head off into the wide blue yonder.The writer is a former ambassador

In the second and concluding article, The Tribune examines the need to do away with historical legacies and well-worn procedures as well as develop the fortitude to accept setbacks. Only a radical departure from all past practices may have the potential to help defence manufacturing stand on its feet.

ARMS & SELF-RELIANCE: A tank and weapons on display at Parliament House. The DRDO organised a defence exhibition of tanks, Brahmos missiles & other equipment to mark 70 years of Independence. PTI

THE natural expectation is that government should do what it takes to achieve a breakthrough in defence manufacturing.  Every new political executive discovers the strength of tradition and of the constituencies in favour of the status quo, as well as the inherently conservative nature of all bureaucracies which are comfortable only with incremental changes. Fortunately, a strong government enjoying continuing popular support with a growing nationalistic fervour should be able to take big decisions and implement them. There are complex issues to grapple with and difficult decisions to be taken.In most technology and capital-intensive segments only one national entity can be supported to become strong enough to give autonomous capability. In the case of Europe, countries chose to consolidate their national air industries in European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS). After many years and considerable public spending, EADS succeeded in developing a real competitor to Boeing in the Airbus. In the Eurofighter, they developed a world-class military plane. Hence, taking a clear view of the optimal industry structure 10 to 15 years down the road and the future of the present set of ordnance factories and the defence PSUs in different segments is unavoidable.  Since the economic reform process began, large PSUs have ceded space to new private sector entrants and become white elephants where now they can neither be privatised as they have no value, nor can they be closed because of the large workforce. Air India and BSNL are good examples. Is it desirable to replicate this? Is corporatisation of ordnance factories doable? Is greater professionalisation and empowerment along with gradual disinvestment to create, say, an equivalent of Boeing/Dassault in HAL, an option worth pursuing? Is strategic divestment to suitable Indian private firms with proven manufacturing ability a viable option and, if so, in which segments?  Would having private strategic partners for a few platforms while leaving the rest of the system untouched, as seems to be under way now, the best way to go forward? Would it not be prudent to choose strategic partners only with proven manufacturing abilities, or, this is not relevant if there is sufficient financial depth? What safeguards, if any, are required in the eventuality of non-performance by chosen strategic partners? There are no easy answers. Taking a hard-headed view on these questions is necessary and is the intrinsic burden of leadership. The implication of having private sector entry and at the same time continuing with the public sector for the same platforms needs to be thought through. To illustrate, having many aircraft and helicopter manufacturing facilities, where only final assembly, controlled by foreign technology providers, is undertaken in India, without any real technological ability to develop new models growing in one organisation to become a world-class national player, would not serve the real purpose.  There may be some less capital-intensive segments where genuine competition over time may be feasible and desirable. A rational calculated view needs to be taken on weapon systems where India should try and have one world-class player and where it can afford two players. This is equally relevant for sub-assemblies and components which are the actual building blocks and usually do not get the attention they deserve.Then, there is the widely prevalent view in the Armed Forces that the DRDO has not yet given them weapons that they would really like to use whether it is the LCA or the battle tank. In any case, whatever has been developed is an assembly of primarily imported engines, sub systems and parts. So, does it make sense to write off whatever has been done and accept failure? Or, is the ability to design and develop a weapon platform even with imported sub-systems, not a significant enough achievement which should give confidence that succeeding rounds of development of newer versions are bound to be better?  Does it not then make sense to continue from what has been achieved and see what more is needed to produce  newer versions which appear good enough to the armed forces? Should such development not be funded and undertaken continuously to develop systems which may be equivalent to what is being used by the forces now and as a potential supplement, in the first instance? Is the present system of having a centralised DRDO responsible for technology and system development with production enterprises making only modest efforts in research and development, optimal? Or, having different verticals with responsibility for both platform development and production, as is the case with all western defence firms, a better model with the advantages of clear focus, accountability, incentives and rewards? Could not the successful experience of ISRO and Atomic Energy of working in genuine development partnerships with Indian firms to develop almost all that they needed to overcome the handicap of the international technology denial regime be replicated?  Should PPPs in system and technology development as well as manufacturing be pursued?    Could the armed forces moderate their expectations by lowering the bar to have, not the best in class in the world, but what is good enough for what our northern and western neighbours possess? (From this perspective, many have argued that even the present LCA is good enough.)  Willingness to lower the bar also increases competition as well as the ability to seek a higher degree of technology transfer for new systems needed now and which have to be necessarily procured internationally. Since the procurement system is tied to procedure and paranoid about any deviation from what is set out in the beginning, negotiating the best terms for technology transfer is not permitted.  As a result, India is unable to even begin making full use of the window of opportunity which is now there, with the US making India a major defence partner for technology transfer. Every procurement process should have the bjectives of getting what the forces need and maximise national technological ability and reduce future import dependence. A good Indian experience to recall is that of Maruti. Through a search and negotiation process, Suzuki was chosen as the technology and equity partner. A smaller player, it was willing to go the farthest in technology transfer and genuine partnership. Maruti selected vendors in a fair manner very quickly, but not through the rigid price-bidding process the only permissible route today. Vendors were helped with technology tie-ups and became long-term partners and suppliers with periodic negotiated price revisions. Maruti, like other global car companies, undertook only final assembly.  The outcome exceeded expectations. India was able to evolve a globally competitive private sector national auto-component industry. It is now a leading global hub for competitive small car manufacturing. On the international scene many firms, with frontline platforms, critical sub-assemblies, or materials/components, do not see much of a commercial future with declining defence budgets in their countries. They may be willing to part with technology, go in for genuine joint-venture partnerships, and even be available for acquisition — presenting an opportunity for technological leapfrogging. An empowered, bold leadership, acting strategically to create medium-term national capabilities is required to take a holistic view of procurement for specific needs, along with technology development and acquisition. An altogether different paradigm of decision making needs to be put in place. Without this, it is unlikely to make progress in defence manufacturing at the speed that is needed and also possible. (Concluded)The writer is former Secretary DIPP, Govt of India.

Capt to re-examine Ladhar case, HC told

Chandigarh, May 26

The Chief Minister would have a re-look on the previous government’s decision to let off senior IAS officer SR Ladhar with just a warning, the Punjab and Haryana High Court was today told.Ladhar had collected an arbitration fee from farmers for deciding disputes with the National Highway Authority of India. Additional Advocate-General V Ram Swarup informed the Bench of Justice Rajan Gupta that the competent authority — the CM — would re-look at the decision of October 9, 2012, taken by the then CM.”Taking a lenient view of the matter, if the officer complies with the orders of the government, a written warning may be issued to him and he may be instructed to remain careful in respect of government rules/instructions,” the CM had ordered.An affidavit filed by Chief Secretary Karan A Singh said the matter was being taken up with the competent authority. For the purpose, six weeks’ time was sought.The HC, on the previous date of hearing, had asked the state to specify whether the action amounted to “misconduct” or “offence”. The query came on a contempt petition by advocate HC Arora against IAS officer Sarvesh Kaushal and others for not complying with directions issued by a Division Bench in October, 2013.Arora earlier stated that in October, a Division Bench had directed the state to ensure remittance of the arbitration fee charged by Ladhar along with proportionate interest. The exercise was to be completed in a month from the date of amount deposit by Ladhar. Thereafter, the amount charged from individual landowners was to be refunded within the next month. Arora submitted that the respondents were unable to ensure compliance of judgment. — TNS

Court stays dismissal of Punsup DGM

Saurabh Malik

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 26

Just about a fortnight after the services of Punsup (Punjab State Civil Supplies Corporation Limited) Deputy General Manager were terminated on the allegations of possessing a false experience certificate, Justice Jaishree Thakur of the Punjab and Haryana High Court has stayed the operation of the impugned order.Justice Thakur said the court was prima facie of the opinion that it was a fit case where stay could be granted since a co-ordinate Bench was already seized of the matter regarding the genuineness of the experience certificate and challenge to the appointment was already pending consideration in different proceeding.“Hence, the effect and operation of the impugned order dated May 10 is stayed till the next date of hearing,” she added.The Bench was earlier told that the impugned order was passed in accordance with a condition in the offer for appointment. It specified that the appointment letter issued would be cancelled without issuance of notice, if deficit was found upon checking of certificates. It was added that the petitioner’s appointment was challenged by one Harmeet Singh, who alleged that the experience certificate was forged and fabricated.Justice Thakur observed that the stand taken by Punsup in an earlier written statement was that an inquiry, marked to Manager (Administration) for checking the authenticity of the experience certificate submitted at the time of appointment, found it to be “correct and genuine”. The Bench directed Punsup to conclude the inquiry. But apparently a fresh inquiry was initiated against the petitioner.Appearing before Justice Thakur’s Bench, the petitioner’s counsel, Akshay Bhan, submitted that once the High Court was seized of the matter regarding the genuineness of the experience certificate, the order of termination should not have been passed.

Not afraid of threats, don’t need more security: Amarinder

Capt Amarinder Singh. File photo

Chandigarh, May 25

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Thursday said he is not afraid of threats to his life from pro-Khalistan elements and that there was no question of enhancing his security.Three videos are rocketing around the Internet in which men, suspected to be based in Canada, are seen giving threats to the chief minister and Congress MP Ravneet Singh Bittu.(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)He dismissed media reports that the Punjab government has sought Z-plus security from the Centre for him and Bittu, saying the state police was “more than capable of protecting the people, including Congress leaders”.”There is no question of approaching the central government for more security. I have full faith in the capabilities of Punjab police, which is doing an excellent job,” the chief minister said.Singh in a statement said he was more than ready to take on “such forces which are trying hard to disrupt peace and harmony in Punjab. I will do everything in my power to thwart their nefarious designs”.The chief minister said he and his government will not be cowed down by the threats from such “spineless people who do not have the courage to come to Punjab and openly confront him”.He said if pro-Khalistan elements came to Punjab, his government will “take suitable action to ensure that they do not get away with their cowardly threats and attempts to revive terrorism in the state”.The Punjab government will retaliate in a suitable manner to ensure that peace in the state is not disturbed at any cost, he said.An official spokesperson in the Chief Minister’s Office also said Singh was not going seek additional security in the wake of the threats.The chief minister has clearly told his officials and colleagues in the government that there should be no move on their part to scale up his security cover, the spokesperson said.He said organisations like Sikhs for Justice, which was purportedly behind some of the videos doing the rounds on social media, “were being supported, overtly or covertly, by certain Indian-origin members of Canadian Parliament”.These elements were bringing a bad name to the NRI Sikh community and diluting the latter’s contribution to the development and progress of those countries, including Canada, he added. — PTI

182 schools record zero pass percentage

Beijing/Tezpur (Assam), May 25

The Chinese military today said it was paying “close attention” to the incident in which an Indian Air Force fighter jet with two pilots on board went missing along the Sino-India border two days ago.Paying “close attention” to it, Chinese defence spokesman Col Ren Guochang said when asked at a briefing about whether the Chinese military would help trace the missing Sukhoi fighter jet. However, he refused to give any details.In Assam, search operations continued for the third day today for the missing Sukhoi-30 fighter jet that went missing on May 23 after taking off from Salonibari airbase here on a routine training sortie, sources said.Ren’s remarks appeared positive compared to the curt comments of Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang who had said that he has no information on the missing plane and warned India that it should avoid disrupting peace and stability in Arunachal. — PTI

The two men who would eventually take charge of Punjab’s destiny in later years –Amarinder Singh and Parkash Singh Badal – were not in the state when Operation Bluestar was being executed. Amarinder Singh was near Shimla, playing a round of golf when the news about the army operation broke. His attention was distracted by the crackling sound of a radio in the vicinity of the golf course, which carried three key words: army, Bhindranwale and Golden Temple.

“I immediately walked up to the house [in which the radio was on] and requested the owner if he would let me in and listen to the bulletin.” The owner acceded to the request.

Amarinder’s worst fears had come true.

He promptly called off his golf game and returned to Shimla to ponder over and execute his next line of action. It had to be strategised carefully because it could have serious personal as well as financial repercussions. He called upon his colleague (Mrs) Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, who was also holidaying in Shimla, to inform her about what had happened at Amritsar.

Senior Congress leaders from Punjab, such as Gurdarshan Singh (from Nabha), Beant Singh (from village Kotli in Ludhiana), Sukhbans Kaur Bhinder (from Gurdaspur), Rajinder Kaur Bhattal (from Sangrur), Amarjit Kaur (from Patiala) and Amarinder, had decided that in the event of the Centre sending forces into the Golden Temple, they would all strongly lodge their dissent by going to New Delhi and maybe tender their resignation from the party as a sign of protest. In Amarinder’s case, he would have to resign from Parliament as well as from the Congress party.

As it turned out, none of the others resigned and some did not even reach New Delhi, citing one reason or the other. According to Amarinder, Rajinder Kaur Bhattal excused herself as one of her children was suffering from severe diarrhoea. Sukhbans Kaur Bhinder exempted herself because she had other commitments to fulfil. Beant Singh and Amarjit Kaur also managed to avoid going to the national capital with him. The only other person who lived up to his word was Gurdarshan Singh. He accompanied Amarinder to New Delhi, a tough journey under the prevailing circumstances.

From Shimla, Amarinder drove to his house in Chail from where he contacted the army commander for assistance to enter Punjab. Once all arrangements were in place, he drove to Chandimandir (a military station close to Chandigarh) where he met and lunched with the army commander.

Assured of a safe passage through Punjab, Amarinder then informed Gurdarshan Singh and both Congress leaders set off for New Delhi in their luxury cars to air their grievances to the Congress high command, a euphemism for the party president: Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. On reaching New Delhi, Amarinder met Indira Gandhi at her residence and handed her his resignation.

Amarinder’s ensuing conversation with Indira Gandhi was very candid and emotional.

The prime minister, who had evidently not taken Amarinder’s earlier assertions of quitting seriously, demanded his reasons for resigning from Parliament and the party. He reminded her of their previous conversation and emphasised the very strong association of the Patiala family with the Sikh religion and its related history. She then asked him to rethink. “This was reason enough for me to not reconsider my decision,” affirms Amarinder.

Not used to hearing a “no”, Indira Gandhi got up from her chair and stormed out of the room, leaving Amarinder on his own. Torn between his religion, political future and close association with the Gandhi family, Amarinder left his resignation on her table and walked out of the room soon after.

Since the Congress high command was now worried about the growing dissent amongst senior Sikh leaders, it evoked its crisis management “mantra”. Veteran Surjit Singh Majithia from Amritsar, a former deputy defence minister and a close relative of Gurdarshan Singh, had been requisitioned to dissuade the latter from tendering his resignation. Surjit Singh Majithia was successful in his mission.

It was none other than his childhood friend Rajiv Gandhi who attempted to placate Amarinder and convince him to change his mind, as his decision would politically bring down the Congress further in Sikh esteem.

However, Amarinder stood his ground and refused to oblige. He had already stated his position and anxiety to Rajiv Gandhi earlier. To avoid the pressure from his schoolmate and senior party colleagues, Amarinder went into hiding. On 10 June 1984, he finally approached BBC’s India correspondent, Sir Mark Tully, and went public with his resignation. BBC was the first news service to announce Amarinder Singh’s quitting from Parliament and the Congress party.

The same day, Amarinder Singh also released a press note about his move and the reasons behind it. The Tribune (a widely read Chandigarh-based newspaper) reported: “Mr Amarinder Singh of the Congress (I) today resigned from Parliament in protest against what he called ‘“entry of the army into the Akal Takht’”. In a signed statement, Mr Amarinder Singh said he was also resigning from the Congress. [He also declared]: “I shall now endeavour to bring about normalcy in the state and re-establish the cordial relations between the Sikhs and the Hindus.”

A couple of days later, Devinder Singh Garcha, Congress MP from Ludhiana, also resigned from Parliament and the Congress party. Elsewhere in the country, in the aftermath of Operation Bluestar, a large number of Sikhs deserted the armed forces and Khushwant Singh, the eminent writer and journalist, returned the Padma Bhushan, the third highest civilian award of the country, conferred on him in 1974. However, he did not resign from Parliament, which he represented through the Rajya Sabha (1980 to 1986).

Why did most other Punjab Sikh Congress leaders not resign and what made Amarinder stick to his resolve?

The answer to this question can perhaps be found in history through this excerpt from The Rajas of the Punjab: “The village Mehraj…in the modern Bathinda district was founded [by Amarinder’s ancestors] on the advice of Guru Hargobind [the sixth Guru], who had built the Akal Takht [early in the seventeenth century].”

Amarinder further clarifies: “Guru Gobind Singh had sent my ancestors a hukumnama [literally meaning a letter of command to preserve the religion]. There was no way that I could turn back from my decision.”

If it was an emotional decision taken to demonstrate his protest against the use of the army in the Sikhs’ holiest shrine, Amarinder Singh’s decision could also be hailed as a very astute political move, though it had its share of repercussions including long- term harm to financial interests.

The Congress upped its ante against Amarinder. There were a series of press releases condemning the erstwhile scion of Patiala’s decision. Several Congress leaders hailed the army action and met Rajiv Gandhi to show their support for Indira Gandhi. About twenty MLAs, including Dr Kewal Krishan, Sajjan Kumar Jakhar, Lal Singh and Jagdev Singh Jassowal, termed Amarinder’s resignation from Parliament as a complete “betrayal” of the faith reposed in him by the people. In a joint statement, they declared that the resignation was a “direct encouragement” to anti-national and communal forces. They also asserted that at a juncture “when the forces of disruption and disintegration were striking against secular forces, this step of Amarinder Singh’s was nothing short of a stab in the back of national interest and unity”.

The resignation, which clearly was an outcome of a combination of many factors, elevated, among a majority of the Sikhs, the position of the Patiala scion, who till then could only win in his home constituency. It catapulted him to a position of “persona grata” in Punjab’s politics.

The resignation can easily be referred to as his first major political manoeuvre in the complicated political chessboard of Punjab.

It was high on emotional connect, strong on religious resonance and shrewd on political wisdom. It was the hallmark of a statesman in the making, whose patriotism was never in doubt.

The decision also helped the Patiala family members in absolving themselves of an enormous ignominy, which could be attributed to the founder Ala Singh. In March 1762, Ala Singh had accepted the title of raja from the Afghan invader Ahmad Shah Abdali. Abdali was responsible for plundering of the Golden Temple twice besides killing thousands of pilgrims and filling the sacred pool with human bodies and carcasses of cattle. The founder of Patiala, Ala Singh, in Sikh history has appeared as a tainted figure, who, to attain and keep his power, had sided with the Afghan ruler Ahmad Shah Abdali during his invasions of India.

Even though Amarinder continues to maintain that his resignation had nothing to do with politics, this step ushered in another key contender in Sikh politics. Amarinder justifies his move: “Our association with the Gurus and the Sikh faith is beyond politics. Politics is nothing. I have no regrets whatsoever,” claims Amarinder.

Excerpted with permission from Captain Amarinder Singh: The People’s Maharaja – An Authorized Biography, Khushwant Singh, Hay House.

• 

The BRO was hopeful to clear the Manali-Leh highway till Sarchu by May 25 but the inclement weather has marred the hope of accomplishing the task in a stipulated time. PTI

Tribune News Service

Mandi, May 21

Inclement weather has hampered the snow-clearing work on the Manali-Leh National Highway till Sarchu Pass (14,500 feet), the border of the state and Jammu and Kashmir, where the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) is struggling hard to open the route.The highway is strategically important in the region which is used by the Army to supply goods to its forces in Leh and Ladakh.According to a BRO official, the workforce has reached near Baralacha Pass (16,043 feet) where heaps of snow were observed and it was struggling hard to move ahead towards Sarchu Pass.Earlier, the BRO was hopeful to clear the highway till Sarchu Pass by May 25 but the inclement weather has marred the hope of accomplishing the task in a stipulated time.BRO Commander Mayank Mehta said, “Due to bad weather in last two days, there was snowing in the region, however, our workforce continued in the snow clearance operation.”“We have reached Baralacha Pass where heaps of snow was observed and it will take more than one week to clear the route up to Sarchu,” he added.

Tourists throng Manali

Manali: To beat the scorching heat of the plains, a large number of tourists are visiting Manali every day. Tourist vehicles are allowed up to Marhi, 35 km from here, on the Manali-Rohtang road.Marhi and Beas Nullah, which is known as the snowpoint, has turned into an attraction for tourists.Marhi, about 15 km short of the Rohtang Pass, lies one of the most picturesque places in the region.A large number of tourists were also seen thronging the nearby tourists places like Hidimba Devi temple, Manu temple, Buddhist monasteries and Vashisht hot water springs. — OCHighway  strategically important

• The Manali-Leh National Highway is strategically important in the region as it is used by the Army to supply goods to its forces in Leh and Ladakh.
• Earlier, the BRO was hopeful to clear the highway till the Sarchu Pass by May 25, but the inclement weather has marred the hope of accomplishing the task in a stipulated time.