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FIRST DAY, FIRST SHOW Rana Gurjit vows to have a well­planned strategy on SYL Canal before the next hearing in Supreme Court on March 28; Navjot Singh Sidhu speaks of citizen­centric services; Razia Sultana says will ensure end to corruption and nepotism

CHANDIGARH: As they took charge on Friday, Punjab’s new ministers outlined their priorities and reiterated their promises made during the campaign.

Irrigation and power minister Rana Gurjit Singh said he would start working towards reforming tariffs besides developing a “well-planned strategy” on the Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal “to safeguard the rights of the state”.

Rana Gurjit took charge of his office after ardas (Sikh prayers) in the presence of advocate general Atul Nanda and several MLAs. He said his top priority would be to meet the promises made by chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh and the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) in its manifesto.

“The SAD-BJP government failed to fight a strong legal battle on SYL. I have called Atul Nanda to discuss this issue and frame a well-planned strategy to present Punjab’s case during the next hearing of the case in the Supreme Court on March 28,” he said.

On power tariff, he said that a number of industrial units from the state have shifted to others parts of the country during the last 10 years “because of mismanaged power tariff policy of the SAD-BJP government”. He said that Amarinder and the PPCC have promised in the manifesto to reform tariffs for domestic, industrial and commercial consumers. He said he has called a meeting with the power secretary and the chairman-cummanaging director (CMD) of the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PPCL) to discuss the issue.

Local bodies, tourism and cultural affairs minister Navjot Singh Sidhu also assumed office. Interacting with the media, Sidhu said it is now his prime duty to live up to the expectations of the people. “Citizen-centric services will be given in transparent manner. Government will not work on vendetta politics; instead, development of the state in all spheres is our goal,” he said.

Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa, minister of rural development and panchayats, water supply and sanitation; Razia Sultana minister of state (independent charge), public works,, social security and development of women and children; and Brahm Mohindra, minister of health and family Welfare, medical education and research and parliamentary affairs also took charge on Friday.

Sultana, wife of top cop Mohammad Mustafa, said she would ensure that there was no corruption and nepotism.

Mohindra said his would focus on chalking out the roadmap to keep hospitals adequately staffed. The minister said that he would soon hold talks with the Medical Council of India (MCI) to increase the number of MBBS and MD seats.

SARKARIA TO BE CHIEF PARLIAMENTARY SECY

Senior Congress leader and three-time MLA from Rajasansi segment, Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria will be appointed as chief parliamentary secretary attached with chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh in the new government of Punjab.

Talking to HT over phone, Sarkaria said, “I have been informed about this telephonically and the oath-taking will take place on Monday.”

Sarkaria said, “Whatever the government thought for me, I appreciate that.”

Our Correspondent

Rajouri, February 15

The Counter Insurgency Force’s (Romeo Force) pilot project on ‘Skill Development: Future of J&K’ culminated here today. The project was take up under the aegis of the Indian Army as a part of the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojna.A felicitation ceremony was organised at Government Degree College, which was chaired by Maj Gen Yogendra Dimri, GOC, Romeo Force.Meanwhile, the Army, under the aegis of Northern Command, trained more than 330 youths from Rajouri and Poonch districts in a year.“Under this project, several unemployed youths were trained in skill courses for four months at the Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) at Rajouri, Poonch, Mendher and Surankote,” a senior Army officer said.The Army distributed certificates and kits among the successful trainees.Speaking on the occasion, the GOC said: “Now the civil administration and financial institutions must come forward to provide financial assistance to these certificate holders so that these courses become a guiding beacon to the state of J&K.”Prof Sandeep Singh of the University of Jammu appreciated the endeavour of the Army and requested the civil administration to implement the model in other districts. Candidates were given loan offer and cheques on the occasion by bank officials.

Capt Amarinder Singh (right) being sworn in by Governor VP Singh Badnore at the Punjab Raj Bhawan in Chandigarh on Thursday. Tribune photo: Manoj Mahajan

Newly sworn-in ministers with Governor VP Singh Badnore at the Punjab Raj Bhawan in Chandigarh on Thursday. Tribune photo: Manoj Mahajan

Pakistani journalist Aroosa Alam at the venue

Manpreet Singh Badal takes oath as Cabinet Minister

Navjot Singh Sidhu takes oath as Cabinet Minister

Rajmeet Singh

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 16

Congress Legislature Party leader Capt Amarinder Singh was on Thursday sworn in as the 26th Chief Minister of Punjab. He took oath as CM for a second time at a well-organised ceremony at Punjab Raj Bhawan here.Minutes before the beginning of the ceremony, security personnel had a tough time controlling Congress leaders trying to get through the security cordon at the entrance to the VVIP venue for special dignitaries.Amarinder was wearing a full-sleeve kurta and a black jacket and sported his medals.A battery of Congress leaders were present. These included former PM Manmohan Singh, Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi, Himachal CM Virbhadra Singh, Anand Sharma, Kapil Sibal, Rajinder Gupta, Navin Jindal, Sachin Pilot, Rajiv Shukla and Raj Babbar.Amarinder, along with seven cabinet and two ministers of state (independent charge), was administered the oath by Governor VP Singh Badnore.

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The first one to take oath after Amarinder was seniormost Congress MLA Brahm Mohindra, followed by Navjot Singh Sidhu, Manpreet Singh Badal, Sadhu Singh Dharamsot, Tript Rajinder Bajwa, Rana Gurjeet, Charanjit Singh Channi and ministers of state Aruna Chaudhary and Razia Sultana.Mohindra, immediately after taking the oath, walked up to Manmohan Singh and Rahul Gandhi to take their blessings. Other ministers followed suit. Rahul warmly greeted Charanjit Singh Channi, Navot Sidhu and Manpreet Badal.While Amarinder and Rana Gurjeet took oath in English, Aruna Chaudhary took it in Hindi and others in Punjabi.Former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal and Leader of Opposition HS Phoolka were conspicuous by their absence.The cynosure of all eyes was Arusa Alam, Amarinder’s friend, who was seated in the first row of the VVIP enclosure. Most leaders made it a point to exchange pleasantries and get them photographed with her.Later, she said she hoped for peace between India and Pakistan. She said she would pray for Amarinder so that he could discharge his duties well.In the family enclosure, Preneet Kaur and Malwinder Singh, brother of Amarinder, were among those present.

Highlights

*PM Narendra Modi congratulates Amarinder on taking over as CM; wishes him the best in working for the state’s development*Order of swearing-in: Amarinder Singh, Brahm Mohindra, Navjot Sidhu, Manpreet Badal, Sadhu Singh Dharamsot, Tript Rajinder Bajwa, Rana Gurjeet Singh, Charanjit Singh Channi, Aruna Chaudhary and Razia Sultana*Harinder Singh Khalsa, AAP MP, was the only leader from the Opposition to participate in the ceremony*Tripat Rajinder Bajwa gets himself clicked with Rahul Gandhi*Sadhu Singh Dharamsot also greets Rahul*Manpreet Badal seeks blessings of Amarinder before his swearing-in. Later, he meets Manmohan Singh and Rahul Gandhi*Navjot Sidhu takes blessings of Rahul and Manmohan after his swearing-in*His wife Navjot Kaur Sidhu greets him and congratulates him after he is sworn in*Navjot Sidhu forgets to shake hands with the Governor; is reminded by the secretary*Traffic jam near Punjab Governor’s house*Raj Babbar and Vir Sanghvi also present at the venue*Security personnel have a tough time manning the VVIP entrance to the venue*Ex-Haryana CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Congress leader Kapil Sibal present

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LONDON: China is reaching nearparity with the West in military technology and its progress highlights that western dominance in advanced weapons systems can no longer be taken for granted, an influential London-based thinktank said in a new assessment released on Tuesday.

Beijing’s growing dominance in military technology and its exports to countries that cannot afford western hardware has major implications for New Delhi and its security, London-based sources told Hindustan Times, adding India remained watchful.

Releasing the annual Military Balance 2017, International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) director John Chipman said the balance of global military spending continued to shift towards Asia, where defence expenditure rose by 5% to 6% from 2012 to 2016, as the total global spending on military fell by 0.4%.

China featured prominently in the launch event of the publication, which, over the decades, has come to be considered one of the most definitive references for state and non-state stakeholders, including policy-makers.

Rahul Roy-Chaudhury, IISS senior fellow, told Hindustan Times: “China’s real-term increase in defence spending matched by its militarily technological advances has enabled it to reach near parity with the West in aspects of air power.

“In contrast, India’s decrease in defence spending in terms of GDP in the absence of a boost in the acquisition or development of advanced military technology results in a widening gap between Indian and Chinese military capabilities.”

According to him, an activist Trumppolitico-militarypolicyin the region could provide strategic opportunities amidst potential pitfalls for India’s military diplomacy. Referring to the September 2016 contract for Rafale jets and the “prolonged and ultimately futile negotiations” over the Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft, IISS said that given the existing security concerns related to China and Pakistan, India is likely to quickly acquire an F-16 or F/A-18 derivative to help cover the shortfall.

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 14

The Punjab and Haryana High Court today asked the Joint Secretary (Air), Union Ministry of Defence, to appear before the Bench to explain why a joint coordination committee could not look into issues such as land acquisition for the construction of a new runway with CAT-3 facilities, resurfacing of runway and extended runway at the Chandigarh international airport. The Bench also asked MoD secretary to intervene for speeding up the process to hold the meeting.The court was also told that Delhi Metro Railway Corporation (DMRC) would start its survey within 15 days regarding the construction of an underpass to connect the Chandigarh International Airport from Panchkula side.The High Court, on February 13, was told that a joint coordination committee, comprising Secretaries, Ministry of Civil Aviation and Ministry of Defence would look into all issues, including land acquisition for the construction of a new runway with CAT-III facilities, resurfacing of the runway and extended runway at the airport.As the matter came up for resumed hearing before the Bench, Assistant Solicitor General of India, Chetan Mittal, told the court that the meeting could not be held. Mittal, at the same time, apprised the Bench of his efforts and communications sent to the Defence Ministry regarding holding of the meeting.Referring to the issue of facilities at the airport, Mittal told the Bench that an ATM by the State Bank of India had been made operational. Two more ATMs by the Oriental Bank of Commerce were in the process of being installed.The Bench was informed that Wi-Fi facility at the airport had been provided. The High Court was earlier told that the air force authorities had agreed to Haryana’s demand for direct connectivity of the state with the Chandigarh International Airport. Haryana will now have an access to the airport through an underpass on the National Highway-21.The development is significant as travelling time to reach Chandigarh International Airport from Panchkula side will be reduced by around 20 minutes. Currently, the passengers from Haryana side have to go to Mohali side for reaching the airport.The Bench was told that a consensus on an underpass was reached at a joint meeting of the Indian Air Force, the Airport Authority of India and the state governments of Punjab and Haryana.

20 die in avalanches, two in anti-militancy operation

Amir Karim Tantray

Tribune News Service

Jammu, February 13

Like the previous year, when the Army had to face a huge loss as many of its soldiers were killed in various terror attacks in the state, 2017 has not brought any relief to the force and it has lost 22 soldiers, including a Major, till date.Twenty out of 22 Army men have been lost due to nature’s fury when avalanche struck Army camps in the Sonmarg, Gurez and Machil areas of the Kashmir valley. The loss in less than one and a half months of the year is relatively high as compared to earlier years.As the Army has been fighting nature’s fury, two of its soldiers were killed in the Frisal area of Kulgam district in south Kashmir yesterday during an encounter with militants in the area. Four militants and two civilians were also killed in the gun battle.Since the start of the year till January 25, the Army in the state had achieved success in killing several militants in different encounters without losing a single soldier. But on January 25, a snow avalanche killed a Major in Sonamarg and in the Gurez area 14 soldiers were killed after an avalanche hit the area. In the Machil area of Kupwara district five soldiers were rescued on January 28, but they succumbed to their injuries on January 30 in Srinagar.Last year, the Army had suffered a loss of around 60 soldiers in different militancy-related incidents, including Uri and Nagrota terror attacks. In all, 165 militants were killed in the state last year and to date this year, 15 militants have been killed in the Kashmir valley.Yesterday, it was the Army’s first casualty during an anti-militancy operation this year when two soldiers were killed in Kulgam.

Earlier casualties

• In 2016, the Army had suffered a loss of 60 soldiers in different militancy-related incidents, including the Uri and Nagrota terror attacks.
• 165 militants were killed in the state last year and this year to date, 15 militants have been killed.

Tribune News Service
Bathinda, February 9
An interactive workshop on leadership building was conducted for principals of all 15 schools under the Chetak Corps today at the Bathinda Military Station.
Principals of pre-primary schools from Kota, Alwar, Bikaner, Suratgarh, Sriganganagar, Lalgarh Jattan and Bathinda attended the workshop and took active part in brain storming sessions which included presentations on academic matters and methods to improve the faculty expertise keeping in mind the current developments in technology.
Vandana Sharma, zonal president, Army Wives Welfare Association at Chetak Corps, an experienced educationist, presided over the event. She exhorted all to keep pace with developments in the teaching field, adopt technology and best practices with an aim to provide the best education to the pre-primary school children. Such workshops help in developing the faculty and provide a platform for principals to share their thoughts, experiences and best practices, she said. The workshop has gone a long way in learning from each other’s expertise and to set common standards both in terms of infrastructure development and teaching methods, she added.

Bags 77 out of 117 seats in emphatic win after 10 years, CLP to elect Capt as its leader today
Akali­BJP combine gets worst­ever drubbing in assembly polls, manages only 18 seats; 10 of 16 ministers lose
Arvind Kejriwal outfit fails to weave Delhi magic

CHANDIGARH: Congress’ chief ministerial face Capt Amarinder Singh could not have asked for a better gift on his 75th birthday.

The Congress returned to power in Punjab on Saturday with a thumping triumph, emphatically brushing aside the challenge posed by the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the first-ever three-horse race in the border state. The party is short of a two-third majority by only one seat.

While the AAP has emerged as the runners-up, the SADBJP combine, which ruled the state for 10 years, has been routed. The spectacular success of the Congress, which has stemmed the tide of poll debacles it has been facing, is not just the first good news for the party since 2014. It has also provided a face-saver to the Congress leadership that has failed to slow down, if not halt, the Narendra Modi juggernaut in the high-stakes battle in Uttar Pradesh.

The Congress notched 77 of the 117 seats, up from 46 in the 2012 assembly elections. This is the party’s second best-ever performance in the state. Its highest tally was 87 seats in 1992 in an election boycotted by the Akalis.

Though its vote share slipped to 38.5% from 40% in the previous assembly elections, the Congress has won more seats this time in the three-horse race, tapping into the vein of widespread anger against the SAD-BJP combine. It has done well in all three regions – Malwa, Majha and Doaba – of the state.

Amarinder, who is all set to be the next CM, fought from two seats. He won Patiala, but lost to Parkash Singh Badal in Lambi. The AAP bagged 20 seats with 24% vote share with its alliance partner, Lok Insaaf Party, taking another two seats with 1.2% votes.

The hype surrounding the AAP – the new entrant that changed the bipolar polity of Punjab – fizzled out. The party had taken the state politics by storm in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, winning four seats, but then lost the momentum. But it is the Akalis who have suffered their most humiliating defeat. The SAD-BJP combine managed just 18 seats with 30% votes – their worst-ever performance in the state. While the SAD won 15 seats, the BJP got three. Both CM Parkash Singh Badal and his deputy Sukhbir Badal retained their seats. However, more than half of their ministers lost.

India seeks progress on ‘major defence partner’ status from US

First contact: This is James Mattis’ first contact with Manohar Parrikar as US Defence Secretary.

Ajay Banerjee

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 9

Even as the Donald Trump-led US administration settles in and its long-standing allies read the implications, US Defence Secretary James Mattis called up Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar to commit to growth of military ties between the two nations.Both discussed measures to take forward the implementation of the US decision to anoint India as its ‘major defence partner’ (MDP). In December — during the tenure of Barack Obama — the US Congress had approved the status that is unique to India.It institutionalises the path of progress made to facilitate defence trade and technology sharing with India to a level on a par with that of the US’ closest allies and partners. It creates a presumption of approval for transactions with India and removes the need to have Congressional sanction for each fresh case.(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)Mattis committed to building upon bilateral defence cooperation, underscoring the strategic importance of the US-India relationship, said Pentagon spokesperson Capt Jeff Davis. MoD spokesperson Nitin Wakankar said they “resolved to work together to further consolidate and expand this partnership in the future”.Sources in India said two keys points discussed were the implementation of the MDP and taking forward for the Defence Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI), which will be integral and enduring component of India-US security cooperation. The Indian side said it was the first defence-related contact since Trump assumed office on January 20.