Monthly Archives: August 2018

Vijay Mohan

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 20

The Ministry of Defence has issued orders to hike the pension of officers of the rank of Major Generals and equivalent who were drawing pension lower than that of subordinate rank of Brigadier because of anomalies in implementation of successive pay commission recommendations.The affected officers had sought judicial redressal of their grievance and moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court. In 2008, the Supreme Court upheld the high court’s order and laid down guidelines for fixation of pension of Major Generals with effect from January 1, 1996, the date of applicability of the Fifth Pay Commission, at rates higher than that of Brigadiers.A group of 52 Major Generals who had then moved the court would benefit from the apex court order. A similar situation arose when the Sixth Pay Commission was implemented and 57 affected Major Generals, who had retired prior to 2006, moved the Chandigarh Bench of the Armed Forces Tribunal.In 2010, the tribunal ruled in their favour in terms of the Supreme Court’s earlier orders, following which the Union Government again moved the apex court in 2011. The matter is pending before the court and in the interim, the MoD implemented the tribunal’s decision only for the litigants in the said case but not for other similarly placed pensioners and family pensioners. In December 2017, the Supreme Court pointed out that the decision should have been implemented for all similarly placed officers and not only for litigants, after which the government sought time to do the needful.An April 16 MoD letter states that “it has been decided to allow similar benefit of revision of pension and family pension to all Major Generals and equivalent ranks in the Air Force and the Navy who retired prior to 2006”. The benefits will be with effect from January 1, 2006, the date of implementation of the Sixth Pay Commission.

Panaji, April 7

Goa has issued an alert to all the vessels and casinos operating off the state’s coast following an intelligence input about possible arrival of terrorists on board a fishing trawler, the state’s ports minister said.State’s Ports Minister Jayesh Salgaoncar told PTI that his department has issued a warning to all the off shore casinos, water sports operators and barges to be alert as the Indian Coast Guard has shared an intelligence input about a possible terror attack on the western coast.“The alert is not specific to Goa. It can be even to Mumbai or Gujarat coast, but we have alerted the vessels and concerned agencies,” Salgaoncar said.“A fishing trawler from India, which was seized by Pakistan has been released and there is intelligence input that on its way back, it may carry terrorists,” the minister said.State’s Ports Department has written to the off shore casinos and cruise vessels, and barges to remain alert in the wake of the intelligence input.“Have received intelligence input from District Coast Guard that anti-national elements have boarded an apprehended Indian fishing boat in Karachi and (are) likely to land on Indian coast and attack vital installations,” states the communication by Captain of Ports James Braganza to Goa’s tourism department and all the water sports operators, casinos, and cruise vessels and barges.“All vessels to increase security and report any sighting or untoward movement to concerned authorities,” the letter states.When contacted, Braganza confirmed sending the letter today to all the people concerned. The letter was also marked to State Chief Secretary Dharmendra Sharma. PTI

MC Thakur

MANALI, APRIL 2

The strike by workers of the Rohtang Tunnel project has entered the sixth day on Monday as the talks between the worker union and the management failed.While the workers have threatened not to resume work until their demands are met, supply trucks have queued up at Solang, waiting for unloading of material for the past six days.Lalit Kumar, a truck driver, said he had parked the truck at Solang since March 28. The material was to be taken to the tunnel site at Dhundi where strike was going on. Another driver Bhim Singh said he had delivered goods to the tunnel project site. “This time, we are waiting for the strike to call off so that we could deliver goods and go back,” he said.The strike has stalled the work at both portals of the tunnel. The worker union has 15 demands, including implementation of labour laws, better transport, medical, lodging and sitting facilities and reappointment of the workers who had been sacked by the management.Dharmender Singh, president of the Bhartiya Majdoor Sangh, Rohtang Tunnel project, alleged that the project management was not accepting their complaint letters and the meeting failed as the security personnel stopped them while they were going to meet the officials.“We were executive members of the union. But the security personnel said only five persons could meet the officials. Earlier too, all members of the executive body had met the management to discuss issues but this time, we were stopped,” he said.He added that if project management could not have talks with the team, the strike would continue.

Chandigarh, April 20

The Raksha Mantri’s Trophy and Citation for the best service hospital in the Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS) for the year 2017 has been awarded to the Command Hospital (Western Command), Chandimandir.The trophy was received by the Hospital Commandant, Major General Rashmi Datta, from the defence minister, Nirmala Sitharaman at New Delhi on Friday. The hospital has won this trophy several times in the past.The trophy was instituted in 1989 to create a healthy competition among the Command Hospitals of the Army and its equivalent hospitals in the Navy and Air Force. The best and second Best hospitals are adjudged on the basis of a number of objective criteria by a committee headed by Director General (Organisation and Personnel) with the Joint Secretary (Navy) in the Ministry of Defence being a member of the committee. — TNS

Issues raised with Kinnaur admn, police

Pratibha Chauhan

Tribune News Service

Shimla, April 13

The Army has sought complete check on use of banned ‘thuraya’ satellite phones by tourists in areas close to the Chinese border in Kinnaur district and starting of helli taxi services for the convenience of both civilians and Army men in the tribal district which shares a 140-km border with China.The military authorities have asked the police authorities to check use of ‘thuraya’ satellite phones at the Chaura and Apka check posts. The use of these phones is banned, especially in the border areas in Kinnaur district which shares a 140-km boundary with China. The other tribal district of Lahaul-Spiti also shares 80-km boundary with China.The stepped up activity by China along the border on its territory has put India on the alert and efforts are on to strengthen the infrastructure and communication on our side of the border. The military authorities are keen that the state government starts helli-taxi services between Kinnaur and Chandigarh as it prove to be beneficial to both civilians and Army personnel.The Army has raised several military issues with the Kinnaur district administration and the police authorities at a civil-military conference held recently. The Army has also requested for setting up an Army check post at Dubling in Kinnuar. Besides the local police and the Army, the ITBP mans porous border between the two countries in Kinnaur and Lahaul-Spiti.“Though no tourist has been found to be in possession of the ‘thuraya’ phones during checking by the police at the two posts of Cahura and Apka in the inner line areas close to Chinese border, the Army authorities have detected their presence through interception and use of the phone in the border areas,” said Gopal Chand, Deputy Commissioner, Kinnaur. He added that directions had been issued to the police to undertake proper checking so that there was no use of satellite phones in the border areas.As a precautionary safety measure against helicopter accidents, the Army has also requested the Kinnaur administration to properly get the high tension wires and apple trolleys used locally marked properly so that no problem is faced by them during flights.The issue of setting up of the Army ammunition depot at Powari in Kinnaur remains undecided owing to resistance by the Lippa Gram Panchayat. The issue has been hanging fire for several years now. Though the issue is pending before the court the district administration too has been trying at its own level to convince the villagers to agree to let the depot come up in national interest.However, several other hitches like the provisions of the Forest Rights Act and Forest Conservation Act are also proving to be major impediments. The case sent to the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest for diversion of forest land for defence use has still not been accorded approval.Key demands

• Complete check on the use of satellite phones in areas close to the Chinese border
• Setting up of an Army check post at Dubling in Kinnaur
• Proper marking of high-tension wires and apple trolleys to avoid helicopter accidents
• Issue of starting of helli taxis also raised

Majid Jahangir

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, April 3

The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has given out-of-turn promotion to four of its men for averting two fidayeen attacks in Kashmir.While three CRPF men have been promoted for foiling a fidayeen attack in June last year on their battalion headquarter at Sumbal, Bandipora in north Kashmir, by killing four attackers, a CRPF Constable, who averted a fidayeen attack in February this year in Srinagar city, has also been rewarded.“On the request of the CRPF, the Ministry of Home Affairs has waived the eligibility criteria of promotion in respect of these four men in recognition of their gallantry and praiseworthy performance in the operational area in the militancy-hit Jammu and Kashmir,” CRPF spokesman Rajesh Yadav said.He said Head Constable AS Krishana has been promoted to the rank of assistant sub-inspector, Constables K Dinesh Raja and Prafulla Kumar have been made head constables.“These three bravehearts of the 45 Battalion thwarted a deadly terrorist attack on the CRPF camp in Sumbal on June 5 last year,” he said.Constable Ghait Raghunath Ulhas, 27, who was instrumental in thwarting a fidayeen attack on the 23 Battalion headquarter in Karan Nagar in Srinagar on February 11, was rewarded with a promotion to the rank of head constable.Ghait was deployed on a sentry duty on a picket at the congested Karan Nagar locality and at around 4.30 am he noticed two armed men with rucksack bags coming from a house and approaching towards the camp. He instantly fired 30-35 rounds and the two militants retreated.“The subsequent action by the security forces, saw the neutralisation of both the Pakistani militants,” the spokesman said.The Karan Nagar attack was foiled two days after militants carried out a suicide attack on the Sunjawan Army base in Jammu.

New Delhi, April 20

Top Army commanders have favoured a collective approach in bringing the radicalised youth of Jammu and Kashmir into the mainstream and focus on minimising collateral damage in anti-terror operations in the state.The commanders, at a six-day conference which began on Monday, also delved into a host of issues, including the situation along the borders with China and modernisation of the force with a limited budgetary allocation, a senior Army official said.Director General Staff Duties Lt General AK Sharma said the commanders confabulated on the prevalent situation in the Kashmir valley and reviewed recent developments affecting the modus operandi of the operations of the armed forces deployed there. “It was felt that priority must be accorded towards ushering in peace by conducting counter-terrorist operations that minimise collateral damage,” he said.Security forces have been facing stiff opposition from Valley residents some of whom had resorted to stone throwing at them in certain areas. Sharma said the commanders felt that radicalised youth must be brought into the mainstream by carrying out de-radicalisation initiatives and favoured a collective approach that focuses on convincing the youth to shun violence and gun culture.He said the commanders also reviewed the situation along the Line of Control and the increase in ceasefire violations there. They also talked about “adequacy of the response mechanisms” to ceasefire violations by Pakistan. He said Army Chief Gen Bipin Rawat expressed satisfaction at the way the Army was adapting to dynamic security challenges and stressed the need to lay down judicious priorities to ensure that the allocated resources are utilised optimally. The Army commanders will discuss matters related exclusively to military operations on Saturday. — PTI

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NEW DELHI:  Nine years after it first made a request for more than 1.86 lakh bulletproof jackets, the government today signed a major ‘Make in India’ contract which will see the army finally acquire the life-saving kit its soldiers desperately require during operations.

The contract has been won by SMPP Pvt Ltd, a small Delhi-based company which has a Research and Development Centre in the Okhla Industrial Area. The Rs. 639 crore order signed today is the biggest order SMPP have ever signed. In a statement, the company, which hopes to complete delivery of all the jackets within three years, has said its body armour meets the most stringent standards of the Indian Army. “These bulletproof jackets have ‘Boron Carbide Ceramic’ which is the lightest material for ballistic protection,” the company said.

The army, which has struggled to acquire body armour for its soldiers because of an oppressively slow procurement system, says the new jackets have modular parts which provide “immense protection and flexibility to soldiers operating in different operational situations ranging from long distance patrolling to high risk room intervention scenarios”. The jackets are designed to sustain the impact of even the latest hard steel core bullets in saving the lives of soldiers in operations.

In 2009, the government accepted an army requirement for 1.86 lakh bulletproof jackets but the order fell through after none of the vendors cleared trials conducted by the army. Only one of the four participants cleared the first round where the jackets had to demonstrate their ability to withstand .30 calibre armour-piercing bullets in a series of tests in different conditions.

he manufacturer which cleared the first round failed in the next where the bulletproof jacket was deliberately degraded to replicate typical wear and tear in real life conditions.

With a glaring lack of bulletproof jackets at its disposal, the army signed on for 50,000 bulletproof jackets as part of an interim emergency purchase in March 2016. This was hardly a solution since these jackets were designed to older specifications and did not meet the standards that the army was looking for. Neither did the order of 50,000 jackets make a serious dent towards meeting the army’s overall requirement of more than 3.5 lakh bulletproof jackets for its soldiers.

With today’s contract out of the way, the top brass of the army will be relieved to know that its soldiers will finally have world class basic equipment. Besides being a significant win for the government’s Make in India initiative, the new body armour “will boost the confidence of the soldier and provide moral ascendency to security forces”.

DEHRUNA(ANANTNAG): Hizbul Mujahedeen militant Rouf Khanday, all of 18 years old, and one of the 13 suspected insurgents gunned down by security forces in Kashmir on Sunday, had two last wishes: one, that his father lead his funeral prayer and second, that his parents repay the ₹150 he owed to the shopkeeper who sold mobile recharge coupons in his village.