Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, November 12
For cancellation of confirmed railway tickets 48 hours before the scheduled time of the train, people will have to pay double the amount as cancellation charges from today as compared to the earlier rates.
The Union Railway Ministry has amended the refund rules and has notified it under the title Railway Passengers (cancellation of ticket and refund of fare) Rules, 2015.
To get a ticket cancelled before 48 hours for first class AC/executive class, passengers will have to pay Rs 240, which was Rs 120 earlier.
Similar is the case with other categories. Even for the unreserved and waiting list tickets, the cost will be double than the earlier charges.
For second class unreserved, Rs 30 will be the cancellation fee, which was Rs 15 earlier.
Officials of the Railways said keeping in view the problem of touts indulging in black marketing of tickets, which came to light in the recent past at few stations, the norms were amended by the ministry.
The objectives of the new changes in the refund rules are to plug the scope of misuse, facilitate passengers on mobile ticketing, propose paperless ticketing and discourage agents on black marketing of tickets.
Under the revised rules, an additional facility has been made available for the passengers, which is automatic refund of fare on e-tickets in case of cancellation of trains for the convenience of the passengers.

Tribune News Service
Panchkula, November 10

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar (second from left) interacts with family members of Capt Rohit Kaushal at Jalauli near Panchkula on Tuesday. Lt Gen KJ Singh, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Command, is also seen. A tribune photograph

Haryana Chief Minister Manhoar Lal Khattar paid tributes to Capt Rohit Kaushal on his 20th martyrdom day at his native Jalauli village near here today. Captain Kaushal had sacrificed his life in an encounter with Afghan militants in Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir on November 11, 1995.
He was decorated posthumously with the Shaurya Chakra for gallantry. A memorial located on the Panchkula–Barwala Road, has been raised in his memory by the Haryana Government. It is located about 18 km from Panchkula.The Chief Minister said that the country and its people were proud of its heroes who had made the supreme sacrifices for the unity and integrity of the nation. SS Kaushal, Rohit’s father, said, “I am a proud father. My son gave his life for the Nation.” Veena Kaushal, Rohit’s Mother, said “My son always wanted to be an Army officer and was very committed to serve the Nation. Whenever we talked about his marriage, he would say that he was already married to his unit.”Besides Rohit’s family members and relatives, Lt Gen KJ Singh, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Command, Major General Kamaljit Singh, Brig Vinod Sandhu, Subedar Gurmail Singh from 18 Punjab Regiment, secretary district Sainik Board Col Naresh, soldiers of 18 Punjab Battalion and 12 Rashtriya Rifles Battalion, the local MLA Gian Chand Gupta, Mayor Upender Kaur Ahluwalia, Senior Deputy Mayor SS Nanda, Police Commissioner OP Singh, Deputy Commissioner Vivek Attray and other Army personnel, civilians from neighbouring villages also paid tributes at the

Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, November 8
The State Ex-Servicemen Welfare Association (SEWA), Punjab, in its emergency meeting held today “out-rightly” rejected the notification on ‘one rank, one pension’ (OROP) formula issued by the central government on Saturday and decided to carry on its agitation.
Pointing out that the pension will be fixed for all pensioners on the basis of average of minimum and maximum pension drawn by the personnel retired during calendar year 2013 with the same rank and same number of years of service, Col Kuldip Singh Grewal (Retd), the association’s president said this had defied the very concept of OROP as accepted by Parliament during the tenure of two different governments.
He said leave aside other pensioners even those who retired in 2013 will get different pensions. Those who picked up the rank earlier with the same service will get more pension than those who picked up rank later. Under this clause most of the ex-servicemen will not get any benefit, he added.
Members of the association said personnel who opted to get discharge on their own request will not get any benefit of OROP. This clause will change the very structure of armed forces as the government wanted to keep the Army young. Consequent to implementation of this cause, soldiers will retire with full service and at much older age to get the future benefits of OROP.
Some ex-servicemen also contended that soldiers could resort to litigation as to why should they not be retired on a par with other government employees. As on today, retirees at early age have more chances of getting employment in the civilian sector and retiring at older ages would increase unemployment among them.
They added that the appointment of a judicial committee to look into anomalies would be of no use as representatives of stake holders are not a part of it and a lawman may not be familiar with military culture and intrinsic military matters.

ਨਵੀਂ ਦਿੱਲੀ, 7 ਨਵੰਬਰ
ਕੇਂਦਰ ਸਰਕਾਰ ਨੇ ਇੱਕ ਰੈਂਕ ਇੱਕ ਪੈਨਸ਼ਨ ਦੀ ਮੰਗ ਦੀ ਪੂਰਤੀ ਲੲੀ ਨੋਟੀਫਿਕੇਸ਼ਨ ਜਾਰੀ ਕਰ ਦਿੱਤਾ ਹੇੈ, ਜੋ ਅੱਜ ਰਾਤ ਤੋਂ ਲਾਗੂ ਹੋ ਗਿਆ ਹੈ। ਸਰਕਾਰ ਦੇ ਦਾਅਵਿਆਂ ਅਨੁਸਾਰ ਇਸ ਨਾਲ 25 ਲੱਖ ਤੋਂ ਵੱਧ ਸੈਨਿਕਾਂ ਅਤੇ ਮਰਹੁਮ ਜਾਂ ਸ਼ਹੀਦ ਸੈਨਿਕਾਂ ਦੀਅਾਂ ਪਤਨੀਅਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਲਾਭ ਮਿਲੇਗਾ। ਇਹ ਫੈਸਲਾ 1 ਜੁਲਾੲੀ 2014 ਤੋਂ ਲਾਗੂ ਹੋਵੇਗਾ। ਦੂਜੇ ਪਾਸੇ ਇੰਡੀਅਨ ਅੇੈਕਸ ਸਰਵਿਸਮੇੈਨ ਮੂਵਮੈਂਟ ਦੇ ਚੇਅਰਮੈਨ ਮੇਜਰ ਜਨਰਲ (ਸੇਵਾਮੁਕਤ) ਸਤਿਬੀਰ ਸਿੰਘ ਨੇ ਇਸ ਨੂੰ ਰੱਦ ਕਰ ਦਿੱਤਾ ਹੈ। ਨੋਟੀਫਿਕੇਸ਼ਨ ਅਨੁਸਾਰ ਸੇਵਾਮੁਕਤ ਫੌਜੀਆਂ ਨੂੰ 2013 ਵਿੱਚ ਸੇਵਾਮੁਕਤ ਹੋਏ ਫੌਜੀਆਂ ਨੂੰ ਆਧਾਰ ਮੰਨ ਕੇ ਪੈਨਸ਼ਨ ਨਿਰਧਾਰਤ ਕੀਤੀ ਜਾਵੇਗੀ। ਭਵਿੱਖ ਵਿੱਚ ਪੈਨਸ਼ਨ ਹਰ ਪੰਜ ਸਾਲਾਂ ਬਾਅਦ ਨਿਰਧਾਰਤ ਕੀਤੀ ਜਾਵੇਗੀ। ਸਵੈਇੱਛਾਂ ਨਾਲ ਪੈਨਸ਼ਨ ਲੈਣ ਵਾਲੇ ਫੌਜੀਆਂ ਨੂੰ ਇੱਕ ਰੇੈਂਕ ਇੱਕ ਪੈਨਸ਼ਨ ਦਾ ਲਾਭ ਨਹੀ ਮਿਲੇਗਾ। ਸਰਕਾਰ ਵੱਲੋਂ ਜਾਰੀ ਨੋਟੀਫਿਕੇਸ਼ਨ ਅਨੁਸਾਰ ਇੱਕ ਰੇੈਂਕ ਇੱਕ ਪੇੈਨਸ਼ਨ ਦਾ ਲਾਭ ਸਾਬਕਾ ਫੌਜੀਆਂ ਦੀਆਂ ਵਿਧਵਾਵਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਵੀ ਮਿਲੇਗਾ। ਸਰਕਾਰ ਵੱਲੋਂ ਨਵੇਂ ਪੈਨਸ਼ਨ ਫਾਰਮੂਲੇ ਤਹਿਤ ਸਾਲ 2013 ਵਿੱਚ ਮਿਲਦੀ ਪੈਨਸ਼ਨ ਦੀ ਅੌਸਤ ਕੱਢਕੇ ਨਵਾਂ ਫਾਰਮੂਲਾ ਤਿਆਰ ਕੀਤਾ ਜਾਵੇਗਾ। ਰੱਖਿਆ ਮੰਤਰਾਲੇ ਦੇ ਬੁਲਾਰੇ ਸਿਤਾਂਸ਼ੂਕਾਰ ਨੇ ਟਵੀਟ ਕੀਤਾ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਨੋਟੀਫਿਕੇਸ਼ਨ ਨੂੰ ਹਾਂਪੱਖੀ ਤਰੀਕੇ ਨਾਲ ਲਾਗੂ ਕੀਤਾ ਜਾਵੇਗਾ।
ਦੌਜੇ ਪਾਸੇ ਸਾਬਕਾ ਫੌਜੀਆਂ ਨੇ ਇਸ ਨੋਟੀਫਿਕੇਸ਼ਨ ਨੂੰ ਰੱਦ ਕਰਦਿਆਂ ਕਿਹਾ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਪੈਨਸ਼ਨ ਦਾ ਆਧਾਰ ਕੈਲੰਡਰ ਸਾਲ 2013 ਦੀ ਥਾਂ ਵਿਤੀ ਸਾਲ 2013 ਚਾਹੀਦਾ ਹੈ। ੳੁਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਕਿਹਾ ਕਿ ਇਹ ਇੱਕ ਰੈਂਕ ਇੱਕ ਪੈਨਸ਼ਨ ਦੀ ਥਾਂ ਇੱਕ ਰੈਂਕ ਪੰਜ ਪੈਨਸ਼ਨਾਂ ਹੋ ਗਿਆ ਹੈ। ਇਸ ਤੋਂ ਇਲਾਵਾ ੳੁਹ ਇਸ ਇੱਕ ਜੁਲਾੲੀ ਤੋਂ ਲਾਗੂ ਕਰਨ ਦੀ ਥਾਂ ਇੱਕ ਅਪਰੈਲ ਤੋਂ ਲਾਗੂ ਕਰਵਾੳੁਣਾ ਚਾਹੁੰਦੇ ਹਨ।
-ਪੀਟੀਆੲੀ

Participants get ready for the Invitational Golf Tournament, a precursor to the 3rd Military Literature Festival, in Chandigarh on Saturday. tribune photo

Chandigarh, November 16

The sprawling greens of Chandigarh Golf Club came alive today with stories of exemplary valour and sacrifices made by the bravehearts of Indian defence forces in their line of service for the motherland.

More than 175 distinguished war veterans of the three armed forces, besides officers from civil services, descended in Chandigarh to participate in the Invitational Golf Tournament, organised as precursor to the 3rd Military Literature Festival (MLF) to be held here from December 13 till 15.

The MLF is the joint initiative spearheaded by the Punjab Government, led by Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, and the Chandigarh Administration led by VP Singh Badnore, in collaboration with the Army.

The specially curated golf tourney was amongst the scintillating array of competitions and activities being organised to build up momentum prior to the gala event next month. Decorated battle hardened veterans from across the country had been invited to tee off together and share stories of camaraderie and hardships endured during service years, besides tales of heroic deeds spanning over their professional careers.

Earlier, Special Principal Secretary to Punjab CM Gurkirat Kirpal Singh, along with the Chief of Staff Western Command Lt Gen Gurpal Singh Sangha, inaugurated the event with ribbon cutting before teeing off. — TNS

The Indian representative noted that Pakistan, in 2018, ranked 14th on the fragile state index.

India on Thursday gave a reply to Pakistan over Jammu and Kashmir, saying the cash-strapped nation itself is “a DNA of terrorism”.

“Pakistan’s neurotic behaviour has resulted in its decline to a nearly failed state with its weak economy, radicalised society and deep-rooted DNA of terrorism,” said Ananya Agarwal, who led the Indian delegation to the UNESCO General Conference being held in Paris.

“We condemn Pakistan’s disappointing misuse of UNESCO to spew venom against India and politicise it,” she added.

Agarwal noted that Pakistan, in 2018, ranked 14th on the fragile state index.

Pakistan is home to all shades of darkness; from extremist ideologies and darker powers of radicalisation to the darkest manifestations of terrorism, she told the panel.

Agarwal further said that Pakistan is a country, whose leader uses the UN platform to openly preach nuclear war and issue a call to use arms against other nations, referring to Prime Minister Imran Khan’s remarks at the UN General Assembly session in September whereby the leader had warned India that if there’s face-off between two nuclear-armed neighbours, the consequences would be far beyond their borders.

“Would this gathering believe if I told them that one of Pakistan’s former president’s Gen. Pervez Musharraf recently called terrorists such as Osama Bin laden and Haqqani network as Pakistan’s heroes,” she questioned the panel.

Agarwal stated that Pakistan has been engaging into such “diabolic rhetoric” to malign India in front of the international community irrespective of the deplorable conditions of human rights suffered by the minority community on its own soil.

“From 1947, when the minorities formed 23 per cent of Pakistan’s population they have now dwindled to make nearly 3 per cent. It has subjected Christians, Sikhs, Ahmadiyya, Hindus, Shias, Pashtuns, Sindhis and Balochis to draconian blasphemy laws, blatant abuse and forced conversions. The gender-based crimes against women include including honour killings, acid attacks forced conversions, forced marriages and child marriages remain a severe problem in Pakistan today,” she said.

Agarwal said that India strongly rejects the fabricated falsehoods peddled by Pakistan in its statement overflowing with hypocrisy to hide its own pathetic and pitiable records as a nation including its own treatment of minorities, the spread of hate speech and glorification of terrorism.

In her concluding remarks, the panellist hoped that the UNESCO membership would come together to reject such a gross misuse of the platform by any member nation.

NEW DELHI: The Navy has now also selected its first woman of ..

A Punj-Aab bus at the international bus terminus in Amritsar.

GS Paul

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, November 10

The Kartarpur corridor opening has infused a ray of hope among the Sikhs for the revival of “Punj-Aab” bus service between Amritsar-Lahore-Nankana Sahib, the birth place of Guru Nanak.

The SGPC has offered to act as a conduit to facilitate the pilgrims for furnishing the travel documentation formalities and obtaining visa. At present, it is being furnished at the New Delhi embassy.

However, political experts believe that the India-Pakistan bus or rail services are unlikely to resume in near future till political will on either side of the border was there. SGPC chief secretary Roop Singh said, “This service was the most convenient to connect the two holy cities — Amritsar and Nankana Sahib. If the SGPC is entrusted with the responsibility of furnishing the visa formalities of the devotees, we will do the service. Devotees can deposit their passports, bus fare and visa fee with us and we can depute our staff to get their travel formalities endorsed from the embassies concerned in New Delhi.”

As a fall out of India’s move to revoke Article 370 in J&K, Pakistan had snapped all cross-border rail and road links besides downgrading diplomatic relations.

On August 10, the bus service on the Amritsar-Lahore-Nankana Sahib route was suspended. Since then, the bus has been stationed at the International Bus Terminus, Amritsar. Consequently, the incharge, two drivers and administrative staff have been sitting idle. Interestingly, around 14-15 police officers have been performing their duty to safeguard the stationary bus on rotational basis. They all earnestly desire that this bus, which has the exclusive permit of Amritsar-Nankana Sahib via Lahore, should run as it provided the passengers of both the nations an opportunity to meet their relatives who have been separated since Partition.

Harpal Singh Bhullar of Bhai Mardana Society, which organises pilgrimage to Pakistan on Gurpurbs, said the visa formalities should also be made locally in Amritsar. “It is a pity that the clause of the police verification of passengers is implemented on this route only, whereas there was no such binding for those who travelled on the New Delhi-Lahore route,” he added.

Notably, the Amritsar-Nankana Sahib bus service, started on March 24, 2006, was flagged off by the then PM Manmohan Singh. Earlier, 25-30 passengers used to travel in the bus, but the count dipped in the last few months.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi greets former PM Manmohan Singh at Dera Baba Nanak on Saturday. PTI

Kartarpur (Pak), November 9

The opening of the Kartarpur corridor will “enormously improve” relations between India and Pakistan, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said on Saturday after he arrived here as part of the first batch of the Indian pilgrims through the cross-border pathway.

Speaking to reporters, the former PM termed the opening of the corridor a “big moment”. “India and Pakistan relations will improve enormously as a result of this beginning,” he said.

The 87-year-old two-time Prime Minister and his wife paid obeisance at Gurdwara Darbar Sahib. Pakistan PM Imran Khan formally inaugurated the historic corridor to facilitate the visa-free entry of Indian Sikh pilgrims.

He welcomed the first batch of the Indian Sikh pilgrims who entered Pakistan through the corridor which links Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan, the final resting place of Guru Nanak Dev, to Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Punjab’s Gurdaspur. Manmohan Singh arrived here as part of the first batch, which also included Akal Takht Jathedar Harpreet Singh, Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, former CM Parkash Singh Badal, Sukhbir Singh Badal, Harsimrat Kaur Badal, cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu and BJP MP Sunny Deol.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh and Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal at Gurdwara Ber Sahib in Sultanpur Lodhi on Saturday. Photo Malkiat Singh

Capt Amarinder said the Sikh community had been waiting for a free passage for 70 years and maintained that it was a good beginning.

SGPC members and all MLAs and MPs from Punjab, including ministers, were also part of the first jatha. Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off the first batch of over 500 pilgrims, saying it would be easy to pay obeisance at Gurdwara Darbar Sahib after the opening of the corridor.

Asserting that he was fortunate to be able to dedicate the corridor to the country, Modi said the opening of the corridor and the integrated check post would bring double happiness to the people.

According to the agreement between Pakistan and India, 5,000 pilgrims from India can visit the shrine daily and the number can be increased in future.

The requirement of passport and the $20 service fee have been waived for Saturday and for November 12 by Pakistan. Separate events have been organised on both sides of the border to launch the much-awaited corridor ahead of Guru Nanak’s 550th birth anniversary on November 12. Guru Nanak spent last 18 years of his life at Kartarpur Sahib, which has now become the world’s largest gurdwara. — PTI

t was a spiritual and emotional moment. There was an atmosphere of spirituality and religiosity. —Manish Tewari, Anandpur Sahib MP

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Dipender Manta
Tribune News Service
Mandi, November 7

Rohtang Pass and its nearby places at Gulaba and Solang valley in Kullu district received fresh snowfall on Thursday morning, something that delighted the tourists and the locals who thronged Solang in large numbers.

The entire area has been covered with white blanket of snow, plummeting the temperature drastically in the region.

The traffic movement has been suspended between Manali and Keylong on the Manali-Leh highway via Rohtang Pass, which received 15 cm snow.

The snowfall was still continuing, said some residents of Manali. The lower parts of Kullu and Mandi districts received rain. In Lahaul and Spiti too, fresh snowfall was reported in higher reaches.