Mumbai, March 21

The world’s highest rail bridge being constructed over the Chenab river in Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir will be “terror attack-proof” and is expected to be completed by early 2019, the Konkan Railway has said.“Apart from being safe from all possible disasters, including earthquakes, this bridge will be absolutely safe to sustain terror strike and every precautionary step is being considered to make it foolproof,” Konkan Railway Chairman and Managing Director Sanjay Gupta told reporters, who visited the bridge site.“I want to assure you all that this bridge will be most safe and the perfect way to travel,” said Gupta.He said almost 60 per cent of the work was done, and after completion, the maximum permissible limit for a train over the bridge would be 90 kmph. An 18-coach train can tolerate wind speed of 80 kmph while passing through it.“We are making the bridge terror-proof. We have taken logistical support of DRDO officials and when completed, the bridge’s pillars and other parts can withstand a jolt created by 40 kg of RDX with no immediate adverse effect on the operation of the trains,” said another senior official.The construction of the 359-m high and 1,315-m long rail bridge started in 2005 and it was initially slated to be completed in December 2009.However, in 2008 the work was stopped amid fears over its stability and safety. Its construction restarted in 2010 and officials hope to complete it by early 2019.The bridge is part of the much-awaited 326-km-long Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla rail link that will connect the Kashmir valley with the rest of the country. — PTI

‘Can withstand 40-kg RDX blast’

• The world’s highest rail bridge (359 metre high and 1,315 metre long) is being constructed over the Chenab river in Reasi district. It is expected to be completed by early 2019
• The Railways has taken logistical support of DRDO officials. The bridge can withstand a jolt created by 40 kg of RDX with no immediate adverse effect on the operation of the trains, said a railway official

The city bench of the Armed Forces Tribunal on Tuesday fined the Union government ` 50,000 for being insensitive towards a physically challenged soldier and denying him war injury pension

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, March 11

The 63rd Cavalry Diamond Jubilee Cycle Expedition reached the holy city today after covering a distance of 1920 km. The expedition was flagged off by Lt Gen KJ Singh, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Command, from Bhuj on February 13 to commemorate the 60 glorious years of dedicated service to the nation.The team traversed through the challenging terrain of Thar Desert, Aravalis and plains of Punjab and Haryana with an aim to establish a connection with the regiment’s veterans and to rekindle the glorious past and heritage.The expedition was covered in two phases. In phase one, the team from 5 (I) Armoured Squadron under Capt Himanshu Karan covered a distance of 1,200 km and reached their destination Alwar on February 27. Enroute to Alwar, the team also carried out a camel and mountain safari through the Aravalis in Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan.The phase two team from the regiment under Lt Abhijeet Mahajan was flagged off by Lt Gen KJ Singh, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Command, from Alwar for its final destination Amritsar.The flagging off ceremony also included the inauguration of a heritage wall dedicated to the service of the regiment. The expedition traversed through Rohtak, Ambala, Jalandhar and Ludhiana before reaching Amritsar. LieutenantColonel KG Jalnawala, the senior most veteran of the regiment, flagged off the expedition in Amritsar. “The expedition provided an opportunity for regiment personnel to inculcate the spirit of camaraderie through a judicious mix of challenge, adventure and thrill by pitting them against nature,” said PK Sharma, an Army spokesperson, in statement here today.

Pathankot, March 5

There are some “disturbing” inputs about a terror attack in India aimed at creating the “maximum media impact” during the Shivratri festival and the ongoing Parliament session, a top army commander disclosed here today with an assurance that steps have been taken to deal with it.“There are security related problems today. You know, Maha Shivratri is coming. There are inputs which are disturbing but notwithstanding that extra care has been taken,” Western Army Commander Lt Gen KJ Singh told reporters here on the sidelines of a function. When asked to elaborate, he refused but said such events were planned to create “maximum media impact”.“See elaboration is neither required nor warranted. These events (terror attacks) are planned to create maximum media impact and when can you create a media impact when Parliament is in session, when a festival is taking place, so both happen to be going on… so that is why, there are inputs but we have taken steps against that. I must assure you of that,” he said.The General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C) of the Western Command went on to add that such “mischievous” activities will not deter a great nation as the Army is fully geared to meet any eventuality.“We want to tell whoever has got this mischievous intentions that nothing can deter us, one Pathankot, one Arnia, one Janglot, once more Samba, cannot deter us. This nation is too great. The Indian Army is fully organised. We will take care of every situation,” Lt Gen Singh said.When asked about inputs that some Pakistan-based terrorist commanders were in touch with their Kashmiri counterparts, he said, “there are certain inputs. There are certain indications. I should only tell you this much that we are fully prepared for that.”With regard to the detection of a tunnel in Jammu on the International Border with Pakistan, he said it had helped avert a major terror attack. He added that a survey would be carried out in all the border areas to see if there are any more such tunnels, for which a team of officials of Home Ministry and other security agencies has been formed. — PTI

Another Pathankot-like attack was being planned

Ravi Krishnan Khajuria

Tribune News Service

Amk Post (RS Pura), March 5It is no reel scene from a Bollywood flick. Had Pakistan’s secret tunnel gone undetected and the terrorists sneaked in, the heavily militarised Satwari Cantonment, with Jammu Air Force Station and Tiger Division headquarters, was just six km away for them via the almost dry Nikki Tawi river.The tunnel that originated from Afzal Saeed post on Pakistan’s side and crossed India’s defence layers of an embankment and five-foot-wide barbed fence, ran close to the Nikki Tawi river.“For trained terrorists who staged the Pathankot airbase attack, covering between six and seven km via the Nikki Tawi river and reaching the heavily militarised area in Satwari would have been no big deal,” said sources in the counter-insurgency wing of the police.“Satwari houses the Jammu Air Force Station, Military Hospital, Tiger Division headquarters, several schools of the Army and Air Force and a convent school,” they said.There had been numerous instances of Pakistani terrorists sneaking in via the international border, covering between 10 and 12 km through the night, appearing on the Jammu-Pathankot highway and staging attacks, they added.The Nikki Tawi, in the vicinity of Jammu, had no serious checkpoint. Barely two km from the tunnel, residents of Basti Derian village were frightened following the latest development.“Never before did we see or hear about a tunnel being dug in our area. It has happened for the first time since 1947. Had they succeeded in their sinister designs, terrorists could have caused carnage,” said Chain Singh, a grocer.He said the village had three high schools. “We could have been soft targets for gun-wielding ultras,” he said.Narayan Singh, a village elder, said AMK Post had been witness to Pakistani shelling and firing, but there was no intrusion bid so far. “This development has certainly sent a shiver down our spines,” he said.“It was a coincidence that a BSF tractor passed over the stretch and the land caved in. Had this not taken place, armed terrorists could have spelt doom on poor villagers in the night,” he added.Ram Pal and Tilak Raj, who echoed similar views, said the spot where the tunnel had been detected was close to the Nikki Tawi.

EX SERVICEMEN JOINT ACTION FRONT

(SANJHA MORCHA) WELCOME HONY CAPT SOHAN LAL CHAWLA TO THE FAMILY FOLDS OF SANJHA MORCHA.

HE HAS SETTLED DOWN IN YAMUNA NAGAR AFTER HIS RETIREMENT FROM 4 GR.

His two sons are Army officers. One serving Colonel and second took premature as a  Major and have settled abroad

WE WISH HIS ALL THE BEST AND LOOK FORWARD FROM HIS LONG EXPERIENCE FOR THE WELFARE OF EX-SERVICEMEN, WIDOWS,DEPENDENTS AND FAMILIES OF MARTYRS FROM HIS AREA.

HE DOWNLOADED THE MEMBERSHIP FORM THE WEB SITE OF SANHA MORCHA  UNDER THE PULL DOWN MENU “MEMBERSHIP”
“AND FORWARDED THE SAME TO THE BRANCH OFFICE ALONG WITH HIS CONTRIBUTION.

Asks Home Secy to speed up return of several pockets occupied by Army

An Army camp on land belonging to Jammu University.

Arteev Sharma,Tribune News Service.Jammu, March 2

In a significant development, the state government has decided to expedite the process of vacating of land by the Army. This is an indication to parties to form a government in Jammu and Kashmir, which is under Governor’s rule at present.Highly placed sources said the state government had directed Home Secretary RK Goyal to expedite the process of return of certain pockets in possession of the Army, which was agreed upon in the Civil-Military Liaison (CML) conference that was held in Srinagar on September 29 last year.“The Governor, who recently addressed the Union Defence Minister regarding enhancement in rental compensation for land under the Army’s occupation, would shortly review the return of certain pockets of land, with the Army at present,” a Raj Bhawan spokesperson said here today.The government, administered by the Governor, had taken all possible measures to restore people’s confidence in the administrative set-up as it vigorously followed decisions taken by the previous political dispensation headed by late Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, who died on January 7.The Governor’s resolve to review the return of certain pockets of land, in possession of the Army at present, was a sequel to the decision taken during the first CML conference of the previous PDP-BJP government held last year.The follow-up of major policy decisions was a part of the Governor’s efforts for early restoration of a popular elected government in the state. So far, he had sought the response of the PDP and BJP, the two largest political parties, on government formation twice.Referring to the ‘Agenda of Alliance’ of the PDP-BJP government during the CML conference, Mufti had asked the Army to expedite vacating of Tattoo Ground at Batmaloo in the heart of Srinagar. He had said, “It will enable the government to develop basic facilities at Tattoo Ground in the interest of the public.”On November 3 last year, the then Chief Minister laid the foundation stone of a citizens’ park at Tattoo Ground. It was for the first time that the Army had agreed to part with a chunk of land for development of a citizens’ park.Issues pertaining to vacating of land by the Army in Gulmarg, High Ground in Anantnag, Tattoo Ground in Srinagar, Lower Khurbathang in Kargil, Jammu airport and Jammu University campus in a time-bound manner were discussed.The ‘Agenda of Alliance’, which was the framework for governance of the PDP-BJP government, stated, “All land other than that given to security forces on the basis of lease, licence and acquisition under the provision of the Land Acquisition Act shall be returned to rightful legal owners, except in a situation where retaining the land is absolutely imperative in view of a specific security requirement. In any case, monetary remuneration, be it in the form of rent or compensation, should be made fairly at market rates.”The state government constituted a high-level panel on January 29 to oversee the process of taking possession of land from the Army and security forces.

In Bihar, candidates asked to strip down to their underwear for Army exam –

short by Anupama K / 12:33 pm on 01 Mar 2016,Tuesday

As many as 1,150 candidates who appeared for an army recruitment test at Muzaffarpur district in Bihar on Sunday were asked to sit in their underwear to avoid cheating. This was done to save time on frisking so many people, reported The Indian Express. Local residents said that this is the second time the test was being conducted this way.

After that defining freezeframe from Vaishali last year of people perched on the window shades of a multi-storey building, passing on answer chits to students appearing for exams inside, comes another image from Bihar showing the other side of the coin.

This one, from Sunday, shows over 1,150 candidates, dressed only in their underwear, sitting cross-legged on an open ground in Muzaffarpur, putting pen to paper in the hope of making it to the Army. They said they were ordered to do so by supervisors to ensure they don’t cheat in the recruitment exam for soldiers on general duty and in the clerical and technical categories.

Sources at the Army Regional Office (ARO) said the candidates were asked to remove their clothes to “save time on frisking so many people”.

When contacted by The Indian Express, Col V S Godhara, director, ARO, said, “We conduct thorough frisking and ensure that candidates carry minimum external things to the exam centre.”

But photos from the venue, accessed by The Indian Express, and interviews with candidates who appeared for the exams in their underwear suggest that the supervisors went a few steps further. “As we entered Chakkar Maidan, the venue, we were asked to remove all clothes except underwear. We had no option but to comply with the instructions even though it felt odd. The gap between candidates was about eight feet in all directions,” said a candidate, who did not wish to be identified. “We do not expect to appear for such largescale examinations in halls, but telling us to remove our clothes was not dignified,” said another candidate. Officials confirmed that 1,159 candidates appeared for the written test on Sunday, including 775 candidates in the general duty category, 211 candidates in clerical and 173 candidates in technical. They said that the written test lasted an hour, adding that the medical and physical tests were conducted between February 4 and 12. Asked about photos that show uniformed personnel supervising candidates writing the test in their underwear, Col Godhara said, “I have seen one photo (from the exam centre) but that is too vague.” Asked if the arrangement was specific to Bihar, Col Godhara said, “Nothing is state-specific”. While local residents said that this was the second time that the Army recruitment test was being conducted in this manner, a senior officer described the procedure as an “administrative lapse”. Speaking to The Indian Express on the condition of anonymity, the Army officer said, “There is no question of the Army conducting a written test in this manner. It is only during physical tests and medical exams that candidates are asked to remove their clothes. The written test is a test of the mental faculty anyway, and making candidates appear for that in their underwear amounts to an administrative lapse”.

Our Correspondent

Udhampur, February 23

Little Flower Convent High School paid tributes to Capt Tushar Mahajan here today.Captain Mahajan, who lost his life while fighting militants in the Pampore area of Kashmir on Sunday, had been a student of the school and learnt his first lessons of patriotism and valour in the campus. He was always in the forefront and led by examples. His teachers remembered him as a naughty but lovable boy.His classmates remembered him as a lovable and dedicated friend who left an inerasable impression on all those whom he met. He was a brilliant student, excellent in all disciplines.

Protesting Gujjars block Pathankot highway, seek compensation

Vishal Jasrotia

Samba, February 23

A day after the death of a Gujjar youth in the alleged police firing in the Sarore area of Samba, locals, including the relatives of the victim, blocked the Jammu-Pathankot national highway at Vijaypur in protest on Tuesday.The protesters laid Mohammad Yaqoob’s body in the middle of the road and raised slogans against the authorities.Despite inputs, no preventive measures were taken by the district administration and security agencies to avert the protest, which led to disruption in vehicular movement for more than two hour.The blockade led to a massive traffic jam on both the sides of the highwayThe protesters demanded compensation to the victim’s family and registering of criminal case against the police personnel responsible for the incident.Later, Deputy Inspector General Ashqoor Wani, senior National Conference leader Mian Altaf, Surjeet Singh Slathia and senior district officials reached the spot and assured the protesters of compensation and a magisterial probe into the incident.“We assured Rs 5 lakh from district administration as compensation to the deceased’s family. Directions have also been given for providing tents and relief material to the affected families. A magisterial inquiry has been ordered and the situation is control,” said Deputy Commissioner, Samba, Sheetal Nanda.An FIR into the killing of the youth has already been registered and police have constituted a team headed by Additional Superintendent of Police Faizal Qureshi to investigate the case, said a police spokesperson.A civilian was killed and seven police personnel, including two women constables, were injured after a clash over an anti-encroachment drive by the Jammu Development Authority in the Sarore area.

End of siege, diversions on NH lifted

Srinagar, February 23

The traffic on the Pampore-Panthachowk stretch of the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway was allowed to ply normally today after remaining in absolute disarray for about three days.Traffic on the NH remained diverted from Saturday afternoon to Monday evening in the wake of the 48-hour gun battle between security forces and militants in Sempora area of Pampore near here.Nine people, including three Army men, two CRPF personnel, three militants and a civilian, were killed in the gunfight.Security agencies, keeping the safety of commuters in view, diverted Srinagar and Anantnag-bound traffic to different routes to avoid the actual spot of the gunfight.The traffic today, however, was very thin in wake of a sporadic shutdown being observed in many parts along the highway, including Panthachowk, Pampore and Awantipora. Sources said public transport remained largely off the roads throughout the day.—OC