Monthly Archives: August 2018

Subhas Chandra Bose

New Delhi, October 20

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will join a flag-hoisting ceremony at the Red Fort on Sunday to mark the 75^thanniversary of the ‘Azad Hind government’ headed by Subhas Chandra Bose.

Interacting with BJP workers via video-conference on Wednesday, Modi had announced his plans to attend the ceremony.

Traditionally, the Prime Minister hoists the national Tricolour at the historic Red Fort on Independence Day on August 15.

Modi said that BJP respects everybody who served the country, irrespective of party affiliation. He said his government celebrates the contributions of many great personalities who were neglected by the Congress in its rule of several decades.

While the Congress neglected the likes of Bhim Rao Ambedkar, Bose and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the BJP believed in remembering everybody who contributed to nation-building, he said, citing his government’s works, including constructing museums for noted tribal personalities and developing five places linked to Dalit icon Ambedkar.

“We respect everybody who served the country,” he had said.

The Prime Minister would also lay the foundation stone of a museum dedicated to the Azad Hind Fauj.

On October 21, 1943, Bose had announced the formation of the country’s first independent government. PTI

While India can claim credit for surgical strikes and other operations, the fact is that the defence services do what they are supposed to do without grumbling. Government must ensure their faith remains intact

Data and the tax department don’t lie, to paraphrase a saying. IndiaSpend is the torchbearer of new journalism. It specialises in data-crunching, rather than relying on vague, perception-based analysis. In a report about a new study, it backs up with data what we always knew but could not prove. The Azim Premji University and Lokniti (the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies or CSDS) in 2018, conducted a study covering eight States to map trust in institutions. The study covered 22 Assembly constituencies with more than 16,000 respondents. It revealed that nearly 77 per cent respondents showed the most trust in the military, followed by 54.8 per cent in the Supreme Court and 48 per cent in the High Courts.

On an average, elected offices and institutions, such as the President, Prime Minister, Chief Minister, Parliament, State Legislature, et al, enjoyed an “effective trust” of 40 per cent. Effective trust is the difference between percentage of respondents who opted for a “great deal of trust” at one end of the scale and “no trust at all” at the other. According to the study, political parties garnered low trust, at minus 1.75 per cent. Political parties polled the lowest in the list of 16. The average “effective trust” in Parliament was 36.6 per cent in the eight States surveyed. Government officials scored 4.8 per cent trust while the police managed only 0.9 percentage points more.

Why do you think this is? It could be because the military in India has proved time and again to be free of political influence, unlike the police, administration and other institutions. The study suggests the Indian people believe the effect of political parties is toxic (reflected in the low ranking to political parties) and, therefore, they trust the courts more than the Prime Minister and Parliament. The military does not hide or lie to cover up unpleasant realities — although sometimes, it might highlight certain parts of truth: Like what a wonderful aircraft the Rafale is (true) and that India could never have made such a wonderful aircraft (false).

The main thing is, the military does what it is supposed to do without grumbling or complaining (although its Chiefs do occasionally go to court about their personal problems — and are quickly absorbed by political parties). It is often weighed down by crippling shortages, but it gets the job done, no matter what the difficulties, even though it doesn’t get paid enough in relation to the other arms of the Government, tends to be bossed over by them, and is frequently denied state-of-the-art equipment.

It is true that no Army in the world has a full inventory — it is a mix of modern, mature and legacy/obsolete equipment. In 1995, Army Chief Gen Shankar Roy Choudhury was fed up writing letters to his superiors about critical deficiencies and was forced to go public. “The Army should not be held responsible for failing to meet its mandate.” In the same period, Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral VS Shekhawat, concerned about the shrinking size of the Indian Navy, warned over dangers at sea in the event of hostilities. His outburst resulted in the then Defence Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav calling him to a breakfast meeting and immediately placing orders on Naval Dockyards for ship construction. In France this year, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) resigned because of arbitrary reduction in the defence budget. By this yardstick, many of our service chiefs ought to have resigned. Last year, the defence budget was lowest since 1962.

One is periodically reminded that China has risen, while India is still rising and no one will come to India’s help in the event of conflict. India will have to fight its battles alone. But is it equipped to do so? A strategic reset is essential to meet the emerging security challenges. Of the 340 recommendations by the Kargil GoM, many are unimplemented, including the appointment of CDS. A headless Integrated Defence Staff (IDS) created more than a decade ago is an exercise in futility. Integration of the three services with the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has not even begun while jointness is only in name. Defence planning on the basis of 15, five and one year plans is compartmentalised and offers no strategic choices. The IDS simply collates the three services’ plans and lets the MoD determine priorities.

The service chiefs have consistently complained about inadequate say in decision-making. The military is seen to be subservient to the political class and civilian bureaucracy. Speaking at a public lecture some years ago, the then Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) Vinod Rai urged the Government to repose trust in the Armed Forces by giving full financial powers to the service chiefs. He said the Defence Procurement Policy (DPP) (which has undergone seven upgrades and become very complex) involved the participation of 13 agencies.

The ghost of Bofors is a B, (you could add an R for Rafale) plus the three Cs — CAG, CVC and CBI — these are retarding the procurement process. Are we surprised that the Army has not added a single new gun to its inventory since 1986 when it is required to deter a two-front war? Transformation of the Army — like the Navy and the Indian Air Force (IAF) — is underway independent of a tri-service operational plan. There is no long-term Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) to derive national security and defence strategies and then evolve doctrines. We have put the cart before the horse.

During the limited war in Kargil, Army Chief Gen Ved Malik despairingly announced: “We will fight with what we have.” But for Israel’s strategic intervention with 155 mm Bofors ammunition, UAVs and PGMs for the IAF, vacation of Pakistan’s aggression would have met cost, time and casualty overruns. Fast-tracked acquisitions arrived only after the war was over. One of the reasons for Operation Parakram not taking off was the discovery that the military was not combat ready, probably an alibi for lack of political will which got translated as strategic restraint. Not fighting a war since 1971 and acquisition of nuclear weapons have willy nilly undermined the conventional deterrence.

We can feel good about surgical strikes and claim credit for such piecemeal operations in elections. But remember: The faith of the people of India resides in the defence services, because like the people of India, the services make do with what they have; and do a damn good job in it. That faith, Governments must ensure never breaks.

(The writer is a retired Major General of the Indian Army and founder member of the Defence Planning Staff, currently the revamped Integrated Defence Staff)

The saga of oil price rise goes back to October 6, 1973 when Egyptian President Anwar Sadat decided to restore the self-esteem of his armed forces and the nation by launching the Yom Kippur war. Today is the 45th anniversary of that event.

Lt-Gen Syed Ata Hasnain (Retd)
Chancellor, Central University Kashmir

Forty five years ago, most of us never thought twice about filling the fuel tanks of our vehicles. A full tank of my Vespa scooter cost me Rs 6. My parents’ Ambassador car needed Rs 50 to be brimful.  Fuel was the last of our worries and we consumed it as if the good times would never end. They did, on October 6, 1973, the day of Yom Kippur, the holy day of atonement of sins by the Jews. President Anwar Sadat of Egypt launched one of the best ever conceived, planned and coordinated military offensives in history, into his own territory. That territory was then held by Israelis along the Suez Canal front with the entire Sinai under them, having captured it in the lightning offensive of the Six Day War of June 1967. That Sadat’s offensive floundered at the altar of execution, the bane of the planner, is a different story. Importantly, it upset the breeze of a life we lived in those times. Prices of fuel shot up and very soon my scooter’s full tank was costing me  Rs17; that’s an increase of three and a half times almost overnight. Imagine if petrol were to suddenly cost you Rs 275 a litre! A heart-stopping development for most of us.

What’s the connection between Sadat’s Yom Kippur war of October, 1973 and oil prices? That’s what I will endeavour to explain in brief.

The Yom Kippur war: The conflict itself is one of the most studied and analysed conflicts of the Cold War period. It stood out for three things in terms of military technology. One, the first serious use of anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs) in the mechanised battlefield, the SS 11B1 and the shoulder fired Malutka of the Soviet family and the American TOW (developed in 1970) which worsted the Israeli, Egyptian and Syrian armoured assaults in the war. Two, was the use  of Surface to Air Guided missiles (SAM6 and shoulder fired SAM7, again of the Soviet family). The third was the first demonstrated employment of the T-72 tank and the BMP-1, both iconic combat vehicles of the Soviet era.

Anwar Sadat put together a beguiling plan to deceive the ever-prepared Israeli armed forces and achieved almost total surprise. A young Egyptian military engineer developed a method of hosing down the high banks of the Suez Canal to provide access to Egyptian bridging and mechanised war fighting material even as hordes of Egyptian infantrymen with ATGMs went rushing across the canal and fanned into the desert to take on the Israeli armoured counter-attacks. SAM launchers were also rushed over the bridges to their pre-designated sites and kept at bay the attacking Israeli air force, thus creating a 10-km air defence umbrella. Despite the early success, the Egyptians floundered as the plan desisted from further ingress, diluting into a defensive holding action with the canal behind the Egyptians. In the end, the Egyptians were roundly defeated due to the massive airlift of state-of-the-art military equipment by the US to support Israel; TOW missiles were deployed from the airfields directly into action.

The connection with the oil crisis: Arab oil producers seething at the western support to Israel imposed an embargo on any nation seen to be with Israel. The decision to boycott and punish the US and the West led to the price of crude to rise from $3 per barrel to $12. The price of petrol all over the world shot up drastically, making transport more expensive. The demonstrated power of energy and its crunching effect on international economics first came to be realised in the wake of this embargo.

It sent the international political stock of countries such as Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Iran much higher. The Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) was founded in 1960 by Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, and Venezuela with the principal objective of raising the price of oil. Others soon joined them. For the first decade, OPEC had little impact on the price of oil, but by the early 70s, the demand for oil was increasing. Japanese and US car production was exponentially increasing and although the world was in the Cold War mode, a period of peace in the troubled 20th century was ensuring better quality of life for people. That meant an increasing dependency on travel as cities expanded along with motorised transportation and international travel. OPEC did not succeed in increasing the price of oil even till the early 70s. The Yom Kippur War came as a trigger and OPEC suddenly acquired a larger political clout. It threatened to also cut back production to create an oil crisis, sensing an opportune moment.

Spur to alternative energies:  Although US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger did manage to negotiate with the Arabs on the availability of oil for the US, this crisis effectively spurred the world towards greater development of alternative energies and localisation of energy resources. The UK, for instance, developed its North Sea facility to eventually become an oil exporter. The US research led to the discovery and development of shale gas, making it self-sufficient and no longer dependent on Middle Eastern oil. However, there can be no denying that the oil boom, which later tapered, led to the rise of the Gulf countries, some of them very appropriately as trading and business development hubs. The flocking of the 7.5 million Indian diaspora to these countries began just after these developments. The Persian Gulf received a strategic boost out of proportion to its geostrategic location, which multiplied further during the disastrous Iran-Iraq war of the 80s and the two Gulf Wars.

India’s struggle: China and India’s economic boost through the 90s and the early millennium was courtesy the dependence on Middle Eastern oil. That situation has hardly changed as both struggle with alternative energies; renewable resources such as solar and wind have not sufficiently made a dent, although steps are afoot. Electric surface transport resources are developing; electric air transportation seems yet afar.

Unless a comprehensive shift to alternate sources takes place, it is unlikely that the geopolitical and geostrategic importance of the Middle East can wane, the US independence in energy notwithstanding. Already, India is reeling under the weight of rising fuel prices with social, economic and political ramifications.

It all goes back to October 6, 1973 when Anwar Sadat decided to restore the self-esteem of the Egyptian armed forces and the nation. Today is the 45th anniversary of that event.

Shimla, October 4

A remote Himachal Pradesh settlement in Kangra district, where there has been an acute shortage of ration owing to closure of trekking routes following heavy snowfall in September, received relief material on Thursday.

An Indian Air Force (IAF) chopper provided the food material at Bara Bhangal inside the Dhauladhar Wildlife Sanctuary — an area not accessible by road, a government spokesperson told IANS here.

Senior district officials along with a medical team on board reached the area located at an altitude of over 2,800 metres to provide the ration and help after it was cut off for almost 14 days following untimely and heavy snowfall between September 22 and 24.

The officials also conducted an aerial survey, including over the Thamsar Pass, Jalsu and Khalihani Pass, to search for people stranded, but no one was spotted.

“Fifty packets of dry ration were handed over to the government fair price shop in Bara Bhangal for distribution. There are 20-22 flocks of sheep in the areas and all shepherds are safe,” he said.

The official ruled out media reports of starvation, mainly among shepherds, with the closure of pathways after the snowfall in the region.

Ahead of winter’s onset, many of Bara Bhangal residents migrate to Bir in Baijnath subdivision, near Palampur town, some 250 km from here. This time the snowfall was well in advance and people were caught unaware.

“After trudging over 75 km, we managed to reach Bir in three days. Most of the area enroute is under a thick blanket of snow,” Bhrigu Devi said.

Sheep and cattle rearing is the main occupation of these people who are nomads.

Akshay Jasrotia, an activist who is taking up their cause with the administration, said the situation is quite grim.

He said since most trekking routes leading to Bara Bhangal are out of bounds due to snow, the helicopter is the only mode of transportation to reach there.

Bara Bhangal is also accessible through the Thamsar Pass, located at an attitude of 4,700 metres.

Kangra Deputy Commissioner Sandeep Kumar told IANS that a team of doctors accompanied the district officials who landed at Bara Bhangal for first-aid.

Additional Chief Secretary Manisha Nanda said the state on Tuesday requested the Defence Ministry to provide a helicopter for dropping the relief material as there was possibility that people might have run out of supplies.

The Dhauladhar Wildlife Sanctuary is spread over 944 sq km at an altitude above 3,000 metres.

IANS

Addressing the ‘Defence attaches conclave’ in Delhi, the Army Chief said, “Our Defence force is in the phase of transformation.

Army Chief General Bipin Rawat on Monday underlined that either the armed forces transform itself as per modern necessities or else they perish.

Addressing the ‘Defence attaches conclave’ in Delhi, the Army Chief said, “Our Defence force is in the phase of transformation. We are imbibing modern technology to be integrated with a weapon system and equipment to enable our armed forces to be prepared for the future. We also do appreciate that in these modern days, either you transform or you perish. And, transformation can only happen through co-operation”.

General Rawat continued to say that India is currently engaged in wide-ranging collaborations with countries like Brazil and Chile on the western edge and Vietnam on the eastern edge, adding that the countries have shown a keen interest in sharing technology with the Indian Defence forces.

“Large number of weapon system needs to be upgraded. We put all this out in the open domain. India has been the largest importer of weapons systems and equipment. Time has come for us to enhance in-house manufacturing capabilities. India is currently engaged in wide-ranging collaborations with countries like Brazil and Chile on the western edge and Vietnam on the eastern edge, adding that the countries have shown a keen interest in sharing technology with us. We are proud to announce about the Defence Corridor that will soon begin to take shape,” he added.

On being asked to react on youth being trained in Pakistan, General Rawat said that people need to pay more attention while the youth need to be more alert because they are being used as cannon fodder.

The Army Chief stated that terrorists who have attacked soldiers who were alone, unarmed and were spending time with their families are basically frustrated and they are under pressure to prove their existence.

“When you start targeting people who are alone, unarmed and spending time with their families, (it) is a sign of frustration. There is frustration setting in, the terrorists are under pressure, they have to prove that they also exist, that is why they are doing this,” he told the media after the conclusion of the event.

General Rawat said there was no evidence of sniper rifles being used in Jammu and Kashmir.

He added, “We have had some casualties to our security personnel in Jammu and Kashmir. Whether these have been done by snipers or not, we are still studying. We have not yet recovered a sniper weapon.”

Smita Sharma
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, October 28

Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale briefed the parliamentary standing committee on external affairs last Friday on the issue of current state of relations with Pakistan.

The Tribune has learnt that the parliamentary panel held discussions for more than two hours to understand the government’s position on Pakistan and the state of ties since the Imran Khan-led government came to power in Islamabad in August this year.

Speaking to The Tribune on the condition of anonymity, a member said several questions were thrown to the top diplomat, including where do you stand vis-a-vis the new Islamabad government? Why was scheduled meeting at the level of foreign ministers called off after announcing acceptance of the Pakistani offer of talks? How long will this policy of no engagement continue? Why is there no consistency in the Modi government policy? 

On the question of the cancelled talks, sources said, Gokhale cited a spate of killings in Kashmir after meeting announcement as the prime reason for calling it off. However, members then cross questioned as to why was a meeting still held between External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and her then counterpart Sartaj Aziz in Nepal along SAARC sidelines in 2016, despite the Pathankot terror strikes? And why was an investigation team from across the border, including an ISI official allowed into the forward base? Was the Modi government hoodwinked or does it reflect lack of consistency with a declared policy of ‘Neighbourhood First’, asked members.

Incidentally, while three of the BJP members in the panel attending the meeting remained largely mum, one of them did ask Gokhale as to why did PM Modi and Swaraj send congratulatory messages to Imran Khan, to which the foreign secretary replied ‘it was a customary gesture’. The Opposition party members asked if the government position of ‘talks and terror cannot go together’ is tenable?                                             A member even suggested  the ping pong style of Chinese diplomacy to be practised with cricketer turned politician Imran Khan through cricket as tool.                                                              Some members underlined that cross-border terrorism continues from the Pakistani soil. Keeping in mind this hard reality, some members advocated “some form of engagement or dialogue. The panel led by Congress’ Shashi Tharoor includes 20 members from the LS and 10 from the RS. “We got the sense that a dialogue with Pakistan is now unlikely till the 2019 General Election given the domestic political compulsions,” said a member.

Posers to diplomat 

• Where do you stand vis-a-vis the new Pak government?
• Why was scheduled meeting at the level of foreign ministers called off?
• How long will this policy of no engagement continue?
• Why is there no consistency in the Modi govt policy?

The Indian Army prides itself on fighting as per the laws of conflict. Two recent incidents contradict that.

Ever since the advent of war, soldiers have desecrated the corpses of their enemies, whether to send a message or exact revenge. However, nations and their armies were also aware that it was wrong and never formally condoned the same.

India and Pakistan fought the conventional wars of 1947-48, 1965 and 1971 generally adhering to the Geneva Conventions. India’s humanitarian handling of 93,000 prisoners of war became a model for the world. However, with the advent of proxy wars and vicious fighting along the Line of Control (LoC), the primitive practice of desecration of the bodies of dead soldiers seems to have been revived.

There have been numerous instances where the bodies of our soldiers have been desecrated by the Pakistan Army and the terrorists. What began as carrying body parts as “proof” of action seems to have become a routine ritual. The proliferation of mobile phones and an overactive media have led to gory photos and videos making their way into the public domain. An incensed public egged on by a nationalistic fervour has been clamouring for “10 heads for one head”.

Also read: Why foreign policy could be the top election issue in 2019

Beliefs, norms and honour code of warriors demand that the enemy dead be treated at par with own dead. In classical literature, Homer’s Iliad described the 12th century BC Trojan War, and captured this essence of the customary laws of war and the reality of battle.

Incensed at the killing of young Patroclus, Achilles slays Hector, ropes his body to his chariot and drags it away as shocked kin and people of Troy watch. In his own camp, he drags it 12 times around the funeral pyre of Patroclus and leaves it face down to rot, to be eventually eaten by dogs. Even the Greek gods are horrified by this immoral brutality. They intervene to preserve the corpse of Hector from being corrupted and Zeus sends word that Achilles “tempts the wrath of heaven too far” with his desire to “vent his mad vengeance on the sacred dead”. Achilles relents and hands over the body to Priam who gives a befitting funeral to his son.

In actual battles, the worst instincts of men come to the fore. Laws have been, therefore, progressively codified over centuries to act as a deterrent. Article 15 of the First Geneva Convention states, “At all times, and particularly after an engagement, parties to the conflict shall,… and to search for the dead and prevent their being despoiled”.

The Indian Army prides itself on fighting as per the laws of the conflict. India is a great advocate of “rules-based international order”. We highlight this every time Pakistan Army or its proxies mutilate the bodies of our soldiers in operations along the LoC. Last year’s ‘human-shield’ incident and two recent events, however, have severely dented this image.

Also read: Our harbours may be vulnerable for 20 years, and Indian Navy can’t do much

On 15 September, defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman participated in India TV show ‘Aap Ki Adalat’ (People’s Court) as a mock accused. During the programme, the anchor asked her a loaded question. “Lekin sawal hai Pakistan ko theek karne ka. Chunav ke dauran kehte hain ki woh do sir katenge toh hum das sir kat ke layenge. Lekin ab dus toh nahin kat rahe (During the election campaign, you people had said that if they cut two heads, we will cut 10 heads. But 10 heads are not really being cut now)”.

The defence minister replied, “Nahin. Main yeh bol sakti hoon, kaat to rahe hain hum, display nahin kar rahe (No. I can only say this that we are also cutting heads off, but not displaying them)”. The statement was followed by a smug smirk.

The same day, two photographs taken after an encounter in Reasi district in Jammu and Kashmir on 13 September went viral on social media. In the first photo, soldiers are seen dragging the body of a terrorist from approximately two metres with a chain tied to his feet. In the second photo, a saffron-clad person is taking a selfie with the terrorist’s body. Both actions as seen in the photos violate the standard operating procedures of the Army and the Geneva Conventions. The logic of “anti-IED/booby trap drill” does not hold good because the rope has to be at least 30 metre-long and pulled from behind a safe cover to turn the body.

View image on Twitter

The media spared the minister, but the ramifications of her naive gaffe are far-reaching. The defence minister has incriminated her own Army of violating Article 15 of the First Geneva Convention and the Customary International Humanitarian Law. Not even the Pakistan Army and its proxies have ever admitted or boasted about mutilation or decapitation of dead bodies of our soldiers. Similarly, with no formal statement on the viral photos, the Army, carried away by the mood of the nation, appears to condone the incident.

Also read: The Indian soldier feels let down by Army brass, Supreme Court and politicians

The government and the Army must forthwith issue a formal clarification to dispel the notion that we have fallen to the levels of rogue armies and terrorists. A political boast and a ‘one-off’ violation of the standard operating procedure must not give the impression that the Indian Army has lost its ‘moral compass’.

The author served in the Indian Army for 40 years. He was GOC in C Northern Command and Central Command. Post retirement, he was Member of Armed Forces Tribunal.

ECHS: Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme is to provide allopathic medicare to Ex-servicemen pensioner and their dependents

ECHS Contribution Eligible For Income Tax Exemption Under Section 80D

About ECHS

Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme

1. Historical Background. Ex-servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) was launched with effect from 01 April 2003. The Scheme aims to provide allopathic medicare to Ex-servicemen pensioner and their dependents through a network of ECHS Polyclinics, Service medical facilities and civil empanelled/Govt hospitals spread across the country. The Scheme has been structured on the lines of CGHS to ensure cashless transactions, as far as possible, for the patients and is financed by the Govt of India.

2. ECHS is a flagship Scheme of the Ministry of Defence, Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare. The aim of Scheme is to provide quality healthcare of Ex-servicemen pensioners and their dependents. As on 01 May 2015, a total of 15,21,563 Ex-servicemen have enlisted with the Scheme along with 32,02,610 dependents. Total beneficiaries of the Scheme, thus amount to 47,24,173.

3. Policy framework for the Scheme is laid down by the Govt and executive control is exercised by the Department of Ex-servicemen Welfare. The Scheme is managed through the existing infrastructure of the Armed Forces so as to minimize the administrative expenditure. The existing infrastructure includes command and control structure, spare capacity of Service Medical facilities (Hospitals and Medical Inspection Rooms), procurement organization for medical and non-medical equipment, Defence land and buildings etc. Station Commanders assisted by Senior Executive Medical Officers (SEMO) exercise direct control over the ECHS Polyclinics.

4. The Central Organisation ECHS is located at Delhi and functions under the Chiefs of Staff Committee through the Adjutant General in the Integrated Headquarters of Ministry of Defence (Army). The Central Organisation is headed by a Managing Director, a serving Major General.

5. There are 28 Regional Centres sanctioned by the Govt, all 28 Regional Centres are functional. All efforts are being made to make the remainder Regional Centres functional at the earliest possible.

6. ECHS Polyclinics are designed to provide ‘Out Patient Care’ which includes consultation, essential investigation and provision of medicines. Specialised consultations, investigations and ‘In Patient Care’ (Hospitalization) is provided through spare capacity available in Service hospitals and through civil hospitals empanelled with ECHS.

7. Polyclinics are categorized as Type A to E, based on the number of Ex-servicemen residing in that area. They are:-

a. Type A – Above 20,000

b. Type B – Above 10,000

c. Type C – Above 5,000

d. Type D – Above 2,500

e. Type E (Mobile) – Less than 2500 (Armed Forces Polyclinics or augmented Armed Forces Clinic will be provided)

Expansion of ECHS Network

8. Expansion of ECHS network was approved by the Govt in Oct 2010 by sanctioning 182 additional polyclinics and 17 mobile clinics, making a total of 426 ECHS Polyclinics Out of 426 sanction polyclinics, 355 policlinics are operational as on 25 Jun 2013. The details are as under:-

11. Staff Authorised to Polyclinics. Contractual staff authorized to various types of ECHS Polyclinics is as under:-

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, October 5

Minister for Food and Civil Supplies Kishan Kapoor on Friday chaired a meeting for evaluating progress on making the Himachal State War Museum functional. He was talking to The Tribune on the sidelines of a function in Dharamsala. he said the previous Congress government inaugurated the project without completing it and it also did not make arrangements for recruiting staff for maintaining and running the project.

“Since the sentiments of ex-servicemen of the area are linked with the war museum, we are taking care that it is opened for public at the earliest. The state government has provided budget and made provisions for hiring staff for maintaining and running the project”, he said.The war museum at Dharamsala was inaugurated by former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh before the last Assembly elections. However, even after 11 months of its inauguration, the museum is yet to be opened for public.

Brig (retd) SL Pathak said 54 arms donated by the Army, including a tank, HP-32 Aircraft and rifles were gathering rust in the Yol Cantonment area. The war memorabilia from the Army was procured with great difficulty. However, it was unfortunate that these were not being put into the museum, he said.

The war museum was first of its kind and a tribute to martyrs, servicemen and ex-servicemen from the state especially from Kangra district. The beautiful wooden outer structure designed on old Himachali architecture by the PWD stands majestically and attracts attention of visitors.

Only the first floor of the museum has been furnished with busts of war heroes from Himachal Pradesh and Kangra district, models of gallantry medals ranging from Victoria Cross that was awarded during British India to Param Vir Chakras, Vir Chakra and other gallantry awards. The first floor of the museum also has the photos of gallantry award winners from the state.

The initial budget of the project was about Rs 9 crore. The museum was constructed to serve as an inspiration for the younger generation of the state to join the Indian armed forces and keep up the tradition of serving the country.