The most threatening crisis facing India is that of population explosion. But how many MPs have raised this issue in Parliament? We also lag in areas of poverty, sanitation, infrastructure development and economic reforms.

RN Malik

Retired engineer-in-chief, Public Health Department, HaryanaOn this Republic Day, roughly 260 million people are living below the poverty line under very dehumanising conditions. An equal number, called marginally poor, live just above that line. Their progeny is born sick and suffer from nutritional problems throughout their lives. The life of people falling in the lower middle income group is also not free from miseries and struggles. Now rich are getting richer and the poor poorer. Insanitation and corruption have become omnipresent. The purpose of demonetisation stands defeated because anybody can draw any amount from the bank to use it for bribery. In fact, it was done to remove the tag of ‘Soot-boot Ki Sarkar’. Business in Sadar-Bazars is still being conducted in ‘Number-2′. Healthcare is on the verge of collapse. Major cities have become virtual gas chambers. Indices for Human Development Index and Ease of Doing Business are very low (134 and 90, respectively). Farmers are committing suicides. Progress in hydro power and water resources development (the backbone of agriculture) is notional. Infrastructure development is tardy. The amount of non-recoverable loans has gone up to Rs 10 lakh crore. The amount of stressed loans may be even more. The quality of engineering and medical education has touched a new low. All states are debt-ridden. The FDRI Bill will create trust deficit among depositors. The GDP growth of 7 to 8 per cent is putative and jobless. When asked to bend, the media chooses to crawl, with few exceptions. The poll bonds scheme is glossed with opacity. POSCO is sitting idle in Orissa for 13 years to set up a big iron plant. Air India and power utilities are under heavy debts. Insanitation and financial crunch mar the Railways. Damage to the reputation of judiciary is now beyond redemption after the press conference of the four Supreme Court judges. These are all clear signs of a failed nation.Look at the developed nations. They were ravaged during the World War II. Poland was annihilated. Japan was bombed and burnt. But these countries were able to stand on their own feet within 15 years. China was raped and ravaged by Japanese forces for 10 years. Then the Cultural Revolution of Mao killed 70 million people in 1950. Its economy was in a shambles till 1978 and GDP growth in 1961 was -27.2%. Then the doughty Deng Xiaoping came and transformed China into the third largest economy in the world.On the other hand, people in under-developed countries are struggling with abject poverty because they are reeling under a corrupt and rotten political system. Rot in India’s body politic started in 1966 after the death of LB Shastri. The usurping and corrupt political class gradually polluted the bureaucracy and destroyed meritocracy. The political class is flushed with time-servers, sycophants and power-hungry people. As many as 33 per cent legislators are tinged with criminal records. It is operating like some kind of a mafia and is busy practising divisive, disruptive, dynastic and vote bank politics to rule and befool the people. The main avocation of ruling parties has been to throw crumbs to the poor in the form of freebies. High hopes were raised when Narendra Modi came on the national scene in 2014. Now his 42-month rule has belied all such hopes. Rhetorics like Skill India or New India do not enchant people anymore. The PM has become more pompous than a pragmatic doer. The Gujarat model was deflated recently when it was revealed that farmers’ community was in dire straits. Only projects of national highways, coal mining, freight corridors, metro and providing sanitary toilets to make India open defecation-free are making good progress. But this is not enough, considering the demands of the time. A strong impression is building up that the BJP rules India and the RSS rules the BJP. Buses and buildings are being given a saffron coat.  The job of a visionary prime minister is to draw a precise roadmap to ensure eradication of poverty and remove the ‘under-developed’ tag in the least possible time. No PM has followed this cardinal principle  after Nehru. Instead of raising the slogan of “Garibi Mukt Bharat “, Modi raised “Congress Mukt Bharat” which speaks of an attitude of the worst kind of demagoguery. According to Jeffrey Sachh, the four keys to open the doors of prosperity for a nation are strict population control, sanitation, infrastructure development and administrative and economic reforms. China did that and transformed itself into an economic powerhouse. It completed its 18,200-MW Three Gorges Dam in just six years. (Total installed capacity of NHPC since 1982 is 6,500 MW). The most threatening crisis facing India is of population explosion. Now it is 132 crore. We are adding one Australia every year and, at this rate, it will be 150 crore in 2027 and thoroughly unmanageable. But, how many MPs have raised the issue of the looming demographic disaster in Parliament or waging war against poverty? The PM has never called a meeting of the CMs to discuss the strategy of economic development.  The CMs are treating the states as their fiefs. The Parliament has become an exhibition of mudslinging matches among different parties, bedlam and adjournments. The MPs and MLAs behave like brothers only when it comes to enhancing their own emoluments.Communal flare-ups like the one in Pune and violent reservation movements are only a trailer of the anarchy waiting to happen. The country is in a now-or-never situation. This is the only time to take up radical  measures. But unfortunately, there is a famine of visionary leaders like Sardar Patel or Xiaoping or Lee Kuan Yiew who can steer the country out of the mess. 

The Border Roads Organisation clears a road in Srinagar. File photo

Vijay Mohan

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 21

There have been significant shortfalls in achievement of targets in the execution of various projects during the past two fiscal years by tasks forces of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) deployed in the volatile Kashmir valley.While allocated funds have been spent by 97.71 per cent and 93.32 per cent during the 2015-16 and 2016-17 fiscals, respectively, the target achieved was as low as 14.32 per cent in some of the categories of works, an audit report finalised this month has revealed.“It is quite evident that the targets assigned by the Headquarters Director General, Border Roads, has not been achieved by 760 Task Force, in spite of expenditure to the tune of Rs 10,952.64 lakh against the allotment of Rs 11,208.79 lakh in 2015-16 and Rs 10,220.20 lakh against the allotment of Rs 10,951.04 lakh in 2016-17,” the report states. The 760 Border Roads Task Force functions under BRO’s Project Beacon in Jammu and Kashmir.While the Task Force exceeded its bridge construction target in 2016-17, which amounted to 122.80 per cent, it was just 19.85 in the preceding fiscal. The performance in resurfacing works also flip-flopped from 99.99 per cent in 2015-16 to just 29.43 per cent in 2016-17.The report also pointed out that in one instance of road formation works, 66.20 per cent of the allocated funds had been spent, but the physical progress had been only 38.53 per cent. The contractor asked for an extension which was more than the original time period.An infructuous expenditure to the tune of Rs 3,094.98 lakh due to foreclosure of jobs has also been flagged. Further, the audit also revealed that a total of 14 jobs amounting to Rs 843.49 lakh are still lying unsanctioned since 2007. Noticeably, these are those which were to be commenced urgently before the issue of administrative approval, where local engineering authorities opine that delay in works may endanger life and property.

Unmet objectives  

• While allocated funds have been spent by 97.71 per cent and 93.32 per cent during the 2015-16 and 2016-17 fiscals, respectively, the target achieved was as low as 14.32 per cent in some of the categories of works, an audit report finalised this month has revealed.
• While the Task Force exceeded its bridge construction target in 2016-17, which amounted to 122.80 per cent, it was just 19.85 in the preceding fiscal. The performance in resurfacing works also flip-flopped from 99.99 per cent in 2015-16 to just 29.43 per cent in 2016-17.

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, January 18

Separatist leaders today hit out at Army Chief Gen Bipin Rawat saying his recent assertions about J&K are “open admission of occupation.”“The Army Chief’s statement is admission of what people of Kashmir want and how military force is and will be used to prevent them from doing so. It is an open admission of occupation,” moderate Hurriyat chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said at a joint press conference in Srinagar.General Rawat was recently quoted as having said that people of J&K had realised that “they cannot get what they want” and “let me tell you, to seek independence from a country where we have strong armed forces and very strong government, you cannot secede from India.” “This shows that the Army has been always using military might to crush the genuine struggle,” Mirwaiz said. Meanwhile, the joint separatist leadership has also called for a shutdown on January 26.

8 trainees of Army Youth Centre get jobs

Srinagar: Eight trainees of the Army’s Youth Centre at Boniyar in Uri sector have been selected by food chain Onesta in the latest online interviews. They have proceeded to Bengaluru for their employment. The youth centre at Boniyar had facilitated jobs for 58 trainees outside the state and 23 students within the state, besides facilitating self-employment for about 60 young girls in the domain of cutting and tailoring. An Army spokesman in Srinagar said the youth centre had been at the forefront of skill development to enable the youth of the area to compete and acquire jobs, including in the hospitality sector and fashion designing. The effort has started bearing fruit, leading to increase in the popularity of the centre, the spokesman said. tns

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 17Should former Presidents, Prime Ministers, Governors and Chief Ministers be given government bungalows for accommodation?The Supreme Court on Wednesday sought to know the views of the Centre and states on the suggestions made by senior advocate Gopal Subramanium, who is assisting the court as amicus curiae in a case against such a law in Uttar Pradesh.In his submission before the top court, Subramanium had on January 4 suggested that the UP law was arbitrary and liable to be struck down. Ministers who demitted office did not require public property. “A large number of bungalows have also been given to trusts,” he had submitted.Subramanium had said if the court wanted to expand the scope of the PIL, then it will have to hear the states and the Centre.However, instead of issuing formal notice to the government, a Bench headed by Justice Ranjan Gogoi on Wednesday asked Subramanium to give copies of his suggestions to Attorney General KK Venugopal and Advocates General of states, having laws similar to the one in Uttar Pradesh, which is under challenge. It posted the matter for further hearing on March 13.The Bench is seized of a PIL filed by Lok Prahari, an NGO, challenging the 2016 amendments to the Uttar Pradesh Ministers (Salaries, Allowances and Miscellaneous) Provisions Act, 1981, during the then Akhilesh Singh Yadav government.The amendment was introduced following the top court’s August 1, 2016, verdict ordering eviction of official bungalows allotted to six former chief ministers of the state in two months after it concluded that the 1997 rules on allotment brought in by the state government were in contravention of the existing UP Ministers (Salaries, Allowances and Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1981.The UP Government had earlier defended it saying the facility given to former CMs was in line with similar facility given to former Presidents, PMs and Vice Presidents.

The damaged staircase of the Mai Bhago Park in Muktsar. Tribune photo

Archit Watts

Tribune News Service

Muktsar, January 7

Just a few days are left for the festival of Maghi and the mela has already started, but the careless attitude of the authorities concerned can be gauged from the fact that the memorials built in the memory of 40 Muktas (liberated ones) and Mai Bhago are not repaired yet.These monuments are crying for immediate repair and presenting a picture of neglect. A large number of devotees come to the town from faraway places to pay obeisance at local historic gurdwaras and a take a holy dip in the sarowar (holy pond).A random visit to the town revealed that the situation was worst at the Mai Bhago park, built near the fire brigade office. The staircase and some statues placed there, depicting the war scene, are damaged. Further, the gates built at the entrance of the town and dedicated to 40 Muktas, too, need repair.This is not the first time when the administration has not paid attention towards these monuments. Earlier, the condition of Mukt-e-Minar, having a tall “khanda” (double-edged sword) with girdled rings was in a poor shape.The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), which had laid the foundation stone of Martyrs’ Memorial (dedicated to Mai Bhago and 40 Muktas) on the Tibbi Sahib road here on May 4, 2005, has also failed to start the construction work till date. Shockingly, the foundation stone too has been vandalised by some miscreants.Gurmeet Singh, a local resident, said, “The authorities concerned should pay some attention and without wasting any time should start the repair work. Further, they should print some pamphlets to inform the devotees coming to the town about all the places to visit.”Meanwhile, the Northern Railway Passengers Samiti has demanded to run some special trains for a few days during the Maghi Mela.Meanwhile, members of the Dhan Dhan Shri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar Committee on Wednesday gathered at Bhai Maha Singh Hall here in the town, took out a march on roads and submitted a memorandum to the district administration saying that the Maghi Mela should be observed as a religious affair and no political conference should be allowed. Notably, both the SAD (Badal) and SAD (Amritsar) have announced to hold political conferences on January 14 here. They said if any political party held a political conference, they would lodge a protest.

ਪੱਤਰ ਪ੍ਰੇਰਕ
ਜੈਂਤੀਪੁਰ, 1 ਜਨਵਰੀ

ਭਾਰਤੀ ਫ਼ੌਜ ਦੇ 2-ਸਿੱਖ ਰੈਜੀਮੈਂਟ ਦੇ ਲਾਂਸ ਨਾਇਕ ਗੁਰਮੇਲ ਸਿੰਘ, ਜੋ ਬੀਤੀ 23 ਦਸੰਬਰ  ਨੂੰ ਜੰਮੂ ਕਸ਼ਮੀਰ ਦੇ ਰਾਜੌਰੀ ਖੇਤਰ ਵਿੱਚ ਸਰਹੱਦ ’ਤੇ ਪਾਕਿਸਤਾਨੀ ਫ਼ੌਜ ਵੱਲੋਂ ਕੀਤੇ ਹਮਲੇ ਵਿੱਚ ਸ਼ਹੀਦ ਹੋ ਗਿਆ ਸੀ, ਨਮਿਤ ਸ਼ਰਧਾਂਜਲੀ ਸਮਾਗਮ ਹਲਕਾ ਮਜੀਠਾ ਦੇ ਪਿੰਡ ਅਲਕੜੇ ਦੇ ਗੁਰਦੁਆਰੇ ਵਿੱਚ ਹੋਇਆ। ਇਸ ਮੌਕੇ ਅਖੰਡ ਪਾਠ  ਦੇ ਭੋਗ ਪਾਉਣ ਮਗਰੋਂ ਗਿਆਨੀ ਮਾਨ ਸਿੰਘ ਤੇ ਹਜ਼ੂਰੀ ਰਾਗੀ ਭਾਈ ਅਨੰਦ ਸਿੰਘ ਦੇ ਕੀਰਤਨੀ ਜਥੇ ਨੇ ਸੰਗਤਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਗੁਰਮਤਿ ਵਿਚਾਰਾਂ ਤੇ ਇਲਾਹੀ ਬਾਣੀ ਦਾ ਕੀਰਤਨ ਸਰਵਣ ਕਰਾਇਆ। ਇਸ ਮਗਰੋਂ ਹੋਏ ਸ਼ਰਧਾਂਜਲੀ ਸਮਾਗਮ ਵਿੱਚ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਦੇ ਮੁੱਖ ਮੰਤਰੀ ਕੈਪਟਨ ਅਮਰਿੰਦਰ ਸਿੰਘ ਦੇ ਸਲਾਹਕਾਰ ਬ੍ਰਿਗੇਡੀਅਰ ਜਨਰਲ ਤੇਜਿੰਦਰ ਸਿੰਘ ਸ਼ੇਰਗਿੱਲ ਨੇ ਸ਼ਹੀਦ ਗੁਰਮੇਲ ਸਿੰਘ ਸ਼ਰਧਾਂਜਲੀ ਭੇਟ ਕਰਦਿਆਂ ਸਰਕਾਰ ਵੱਲੋਂ ਪਰਿਵਾਰ ਨੂੰ ਹਰ ਤਰ੍ਹਾਂ ਦੀ ਸਹਾਇਤਾ ਦੇਣ ਦਾ ਭਰੋਸਾ ਦਿੱਤਾ। ਪੰਜਾਬ ਦੇ ਸਾਬਕਾ ਮੁਖ ਮੰਤਰੀ ਪ੍ਰਕਾਸ਼ ਸਿੰਘ ਬਾਦਲ ਤੇ ਸ਼੍ਰੋਮਣੀ ਅਕਾਲੀ ਦਲ ਦੇ ਪ੍ਰਧਾਨ ਸੁਖਬੀਰ ਸਿੰਘ ਬਾਦਲ ਵੱਲੋਂ ਹਲਕਾ ਵਿਧਾਇਕ ਤੇ ਸਾਬਕਾ ਕੈਬਨਿਟ ਮੰਤਰੀ ਬਿਕਰਮ ਸਿੰਘ ਮਜੀਠੀਆ ਨੇ ਪਰਿਵਾਰ ਨਾਲ ਦੁੱਖ ਸਾਂਝਾ ਕਰਦਿਆਂ ਸ਼ਹੀਦ ਨੂੰ ਸ਼ਰਧਾ ਦੇ ਫੁੱਲ ਭੇਟ ਕੀਤੇ। ਆਮ ਆਦਮੀ ਪਾਰਟੀ ਦੇ ਜ਼ਿਲ੍ਹਾ ਪ੍ਰਧਾਨ ਪ੍ਰਗਟ ਸਿੰਘ ਚੋਗਾਵਾਂ ਨੇ ‘ਆਪ’ ਦੇ ਕੌਮੀ ਪ੍ਰਧਾਨ ਅਰਵਿੰਦ ਕੇਜਰੀਵਾਲ ਵੱਲੋਂ ਸ਼ਹੀਦ ਨੂੰ ਸ਼ਰਧਾਂਜਲੀ ਭੇਟ ਕੀਤੀ।
ਇਸ ਤੋਂ ਇਲਾਵਾ ਸਾਬਕਾ ਮੰਤਰੀ ਲਕਸ਼ਮੀ ਕਾਂਤਾ ਚਾਵਲਾ, ਪੰਜਾਬ ਕਾਂਗਰਸ ਦੇ ਬੁਲਾਰੇ ਸੁਖਜਿੰਦਰ ਰਾਜ ਸਿੰਘ ਲਾਲੀ ਮਜੀਠੀਆ, ਸਾਬਕਾ ਵਿਧਾਇਕ ਸਵਿੰਦਰ ਸਿੰਘ ਕੱਥੂਨੰਗਲ, ਜ਼ਿਲ੍ਹਾ ਪ੍ਰਧਾਨ ਭਗਵੰਤਪਾਲ ਸਿੰਘ ਸੱਚਰ, ਸਾਬਕਾ ਵਿਧਾਇਕ ਵੀਰ ਸਿੰਘ ਲੋਪੋਕੇ, ਡਾ. ਦਲਬੀਰ ਸਿੰਘ ਵੇਰਕਾ, ਰਾਜਮਹਿੰਦਰ ਸਿੰਘ ਮਜੀਠਾ, ਐਡਵੋਕੇਟ ਭਗਵੰਤ ਸਿੰਘ ਸਿਆਲਕਾ ਤੇ ਐੱਮਪੀ ਔਜਲਾ ਦੇ ਮਾਤਾ ਬੀਬੀ ਜਗੀਰ ਕੌਰ ਔਜਲਾ ਨੇ ਵੀ ਸ਼ਹੀਦ ਨੂੰ ਸ਼ਰਧਾਂਜਲੀ ਭੇਟ ਕੀਤੀ। ਇਸ ਮੌਕੇ ਸ਼ਹੀਦ ਗੁਰਮੇਲ ਸਿੰਘ ਨਾਲ ਲਗਾਤਾਰ 14 ਸਾਲ ਡਿਊਟੀ ਕਰਨ ਵਾਲੇ ਸੂਬੇਦਾਰ ਕੁਲਵਿੰਦਰ ਸਿੰਘ ਨੇ ਸ਼ਰਧਾਂਜਲੀ ਭੇਟ ਕਰਦਿਆਂ ਕਿਹਾ ਕਿ ਗੁਰਮੇਲ ਸਿੰਘ ਦਲੇਰ ਆਗੂ ਸੈਨਿਕ ਸੀ।
ਇਸ ਮੌਕੇ ਜ਼ਿਲ੍ਹਾ ਸੈਨਿਕ ਭਲਾਈ ਅਫ਼ਸਰ ਬ੍ਰਿਗੇਡੀਅਰ ਕਰਨਲ ਚਾਹਲ ਨੇ ਕੇਂਦਰ ਤੇ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਸਰਕਾਰ ਵੱਲੋਂ ਸ਼ਹੀਦ ਪਰਿਵਾਰ ਨੂੰ ਮਿਲਣ ਵਾਲੀ ਸਹਾਇਤਾ ਬਾਰੇ ਜਾਣੂ ਕਰਾਉਂਦਿਆਂ ਕਿਹਾ ਕਿ ਪਰਿਵਾਰ ਨੂੰ ਸਰਕਾਰੀ ਸਹਾਇਤਾ ਮਿਲਣ ਵਿੱਚ ਕੋਈ ਪ੍ਰੇਸ਼ਾਨੀ ਨਹੀਂ ਆਉਣ ਦਿੱਤੀ ਜਾਵੇਗੀ। ਇਸ ਮੌਕੇ ਡਿਪਟੀ ਕਮਿਸ਼ਨਰ ਕਮਲਦੀਪ ਸਿੰਘ ਸੰਧਾ ਸਮੇਤ ਸਿਵਲ ਤੇ ਪੁਲੀਸ ਪ੍ਰਸ਼ਾਸਨ ਦੇ ਉੱਚ ਅਧਿਕਾਰੀ ਤੇ ਹੋਰ ਪਤਵੰਤੇ ਵੀ ਹਾਜ਼ਰ ਸਨ।

ਸ਼ਹੀਦ ਜਗਸੀਰ ਸਿੰਘ ਦਾ ਸਸਕਾਰ ਟਲਿਆ
ਫ਼ਿਰੋਜ਼ਪੁਰ(ਨਿੱਜੀ ਪੱਤਰ ਪ੍ਰੇਰਕ): ਜੰਮੂ ਦੇ ਰਾਜੌਰੀ ਇਲਾਕੇ ਵਿੱਚ ਸ਼ਹੀਦ ਹੋਏ ਫ਼ੌਜੀ ਜਗਸੀਰ ਸਿੰਘ ਦਾ ਸਸਕਾਰ ਉਸ ਦੀ ਭੈਣ ਦੇ ਵਿਦੇਸ਼ੋਂ ਦੇਰੀ ਨਾਲ ਇੱਥੇ ਪਹੁੰਚਣ ਕਾਰਨ ਮੰਗਲਵਾਰ ਤੱਕ ਟਾਲ ਦਿੱਤਾ ਗਿਆ ਹੈ। ਹਾਲਾਂਕਿ ਸ਼ਹੀਦ ਦੀ ਲਾਸ਼ ਅੱਜ ਫ਼ਿਰੋਜ਼ਪੁਰ ਪੁੱਜ ਗਈ ਸੀ ਅਤੇ ਸਸਕਾਰ ਦਾ ਸਮਾਂ ਮੰਗਲਵਾਰ ਸਵੇਰੇ 10 ਵਜੇ ਰੱਖਿਆ ਗਿਆ ਸੀ। ਪ੍ਰਸ਼ਾਸਨ ਵੱਲੋਂ ਸ਼ਹੀਦ ਦੇ ਸਰਕਾਰੀ ਸਨਮਾਨਾਂ ਨਾਲ ਸਸਕਾਰ ਦੀ ਤਿਆਰੀ ਮੁਕੰਮਲ ਕਰ ਲਈ ਗਈ ਸੀ, ਪਰ ਪਰਿਵਾਰ ਨਾਲ ਸਹਿਮਤੀ ਨਾ ਬਣਨ ਕਾਰਨ ਸਸਕਾਰ ਮੰਗਲਵਾਰ ਤੱਕ ਮੁਲਤਵੀ ਕਰਨਾ ਪਿਆ।  ਡਿਪਟੀ ਕਮਿਸ਼ਨਰ ਰਾਮਵੀਰ ਅਤੇ ਜ਼ਿਲ੍ਹਾ ਪੁਲੀਸ ਮੁਖੀ ਭੁਪਿੰਦਰ ਸਿੰਘ ਸਿੱਧੂ ਸਮੇਤ ਫ਼ੌਜ ਅਤੇ ਕਈ ਸਿਵਲ ਅਧਿਕਾਰੀਆਂ ਨੇ ਅੱਜ ਮ੍ਰਿਤਕ ਜਗਸੀਰ ਸਿੰਘ ਦੇ ਪਰਿਵਾਰ ਨਾਲ ਦੁੱਖ ਸਾਂਝਾ ਕੀਤਾ।

Army men pay tributes to Sepoy Jagsir Singh in Rajouri. Tribune Photo

Jammu, January 1

The White Knight Corps (16 Corps) today bid farewell to Sepoy Jagsir Singh, who was killed in a ceasefire violation in the Nowshera sector on the Line of Control (LoC) on Sunday.The Defence Public Relations Officer (PRO), Jammu, said a wreath-laying ceremony was organised in Rajouri in honour of the braveheart Sepoy Jagsir Singh, who laid down his life guarding the nation’s frontiers while serving at the LoC in the Nowshera sector.“A military send-off was organised, wherein General Officer Commanding, Ace of Spades Division, among other military dignitaries laid wreaths on behalf of Lt Gen D Anbu, Northern Command chief, and Lt Gen Saranjeet Singh, General Officer Commanding, White Knight Corps,” the PRO said.Sepoy Jagsir Singh, 32, belonged to Lohgarh village in Punjab’s Ferozepur district and is survived by his wife Mohinder Pall Kaur, two daughters and a son.Sepoy Jagsir Singh was a dedicated and brave soldier and a thorough professional. The nation will remain indebted to him for the supreme sacrifice and devotion to duty. He will continue to motivate the future generations, the PRO said.A wreath laying ceremony was held in Rajouri to honour Tufail Hussain, CRPF head constable who sacrificed his life in a fidayeen attack yesterday. Five CRPF jawans and three local Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) militants were killed in a suicide attack on the CRPF training-cum-induction centre in the Lethpora area of Pulwama. The body was taken to his native Dodasanwala village in Thanamandi tehsil. Nittu Bhatacharya, DIG, CRPF; Yougal Manhas, SSP; AS Chib, ADDC; among other senior police and civil officials were present. Dr Shahid Iqbal Choudhry, DDC, who was out of station, visited the house of the martyr in the evening and said the district administration, besides official compensation, was considering to provide free education to Tufail’s children. — TNS

Surinder Bhardwaj

Fatehgarh Sahib, December 25

The three-day annual Shaheedi Jor Mela — held to commemorate the martyrdom of the younger Sahibzade of Guru Gobind Singh — began here today.The Akhand Path of Guru Granth Sahib began at Gurdwara Jyoti Sarup Sahib. Giani Harpal Singh, Head Granthi, Gurdwara Fatehgarh Sahib, performed ardas. A sea of devotees thronged Fatehgarh Sahib and long queues were witnessed at Gurdwara Fatehgarh Sahib and Gurdwara Jyoti Sarup Sahib. More than 10 lakh devotees are expected to offer prayers.Kanwal Preet Brar, Deputy Commissioner, inaugurated a ‘kavi darbar’ and an exhibition on the achievements of various government departments. A light-and-sound show ‘Sirhind Di Diwar’ will be organised. Navjot Singh Sidhu, Tourism Minister, will inaugurate the show.The DC and MLA Kuljit Nagra inaugurated a child protection and feeding booth set up by the Child Welfare Committee. The police have made elaborate security as well as traffic management arrangements.SSP Alka Meena said that to ensure foolproof security of the devotees, the mela has been divided into five sectors and each sector is headed by a SP-rank officer. For the first time, drone cameras and 150 CCTV cameras have been installed to keep watch on anti-social elements.As many as 5,500 police personnel and officers and NSS, NCC volunteers are on duty. Meanwhile, a large number of community kitchens have started serving langar to the devotees. Earlier, the second day of the mela used to be dominated by political conferences. This time, no such conference will be held.Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh is expected to visit Fatehgarh Sahib to pay obeisance. On the concluding day, nagar kirtan will be held from Gurdwara Fatehgarh Sahib to Gurdwara Jyoti Sarup Sahib and ardas will be performed.

Tight security

• To ensure foolproof security of the devotees, the mela has been divided into five sectors and each sector is headed by a SP-rank officer.
• For the first time, drone cameras and 150 CCTV cameras have been installed to keep watch on anti-social elements.

Governor, Speaker pay tributes to Sahibzade

Governor VP Singh Badnore (C), Speaker Rana KP Singh (R) and Gen Bhopinder Singh, former Lt Governor, Andaman and Nicobar, at Gurdwara Fatehgarh Sahib on Monday. Tribune photo

Our Correspondent

Fatehgarh Sahib, December 25Governor VP Singh Badnore, Assembly Speaker Rana KP Singh and former Lt Governor, Andaman and Nicobar, Gen Bhopinder Singh paid obeisance at Gurdwara Fatehgarh Sahib today. They were presented with ‘siropas’.The Governor paid tributes to the younger Sahibzade. The Speaker said the sacrifice of the Sahibzade was considered supreme in the annals of world history. “Their sacrifice at a tender age gives us strength to fight against tyrants and have faith in our religion. It will continue to guide us,” Rana KP Singh said.

Govt release credits minister Sitharaman for promoting Make in India in defence sector; ministry sources say this could be because ‘final version’ has now been approved.

New Delhi: A Ministry of Defence (MoD) ‘approval’ issued Wednesday for involving the private sector in manufacturing ammunition has created confusion. This is because the project had already been cleared in January this year and the tendering process has reached an advanced stage, including several extensions to bidding dates which have frustrated potential vendors.

A government press release said that Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had taken “another step in the direction of Make in India in the defence sector”, to “facilitate development of indigenous capacity”, by approving the manufacture of eight types of ammunition by private industry. The release said the minister approved “a long term contract of 10 years with the selected ammunition manufacturer, to facilitate a viable commercial model”, and that the selection would be done through an open tender, two-bid process.

However, official Indian Army documentation shows that tenders for these eight types of ammunition had already been issued in March this year, with complete details of the project shared with potential vendors. Bidding dates for the tender have been extended at least six times, with the latest being another extension until 11 January 2018.

The tender has also been mired in controversy, given that foreign firms blacklisted in India for corruption charges have been allowed a backdoor entry – they can be ‘technology partners’ with Indian companies.

Asked why the press release was claiming this as a new development, when it has been in the pipeline at least since March, sources in the MoD said the reason was that a ‘final version’ of the tenders had been approved by the minister.

Timeline of the plan

According to government officials, the plan to involve the private sector in manufacturing the eight types of ammunition was cleared by previous defence minister Manohar Parrikar in late 2016, with final approvals coming in January this year. Tenders for all eight types were issued in March.

However, the dates for submission of bids have since been extended repeatedly, as vendors have faced multiple problems, including the large amount of earnest money demanded, as well as bank guarantees required for the 10-year supply project.

Industry representatives have asked for several amendments to the tenders that would allow them to participate. Sources said it is perhaps these amendments that have now been cleared by the ministry, and could be added as a corrigendum to the existing tenders. In case, the variations are huge, the original tenders can be withdrawn and fresh ones issued.

The tenders that have been issued include lakhs of rounds of 30 mm HET, BMCS 125 mm FSAPDS, 122 mm HE ER Rocket, 40 mm MGL & UBGL, 23 mm HEI/APIT, 30 mm VOG, and electrical fuzes for artillery.