The entrance of the ammunition depot where a major fire broke out in Pulgaon, near Nagpur, on Tuesday.

Shiv Kumar

Tribune News Service

Mumbai, June 1

Three more bodies were today recovered from the site of the fire mishap at the Central Ammunition Depot (CAD) at Pulgaon in Maharashtra, taking the death toll to 19.Charred beyond recognition, all three belonged to the Defence Security Corps, the state police said, adding that DNA tests would be conducted to identify them.Three of the 17 persons injured in the yesterday’s fire were today airlifted to the Army Hospital in Pune. They have been identified as CAD Deputy Commandant Col Ganendra Singh, Major Sharad Yadav and Major Jagdish Chandra. Chandra received burn injuries, while the other two were injured by flying shrapnel.The Shiv Sena has demanded that the Central Government should take responsibility for the deaths of so many people and loss of ammunition.“The loss of so much ammunition would have made our enemies such as Pakistan and China very happy. So much of loss would not happen in the case of a war…Now there will be inquiries and tears will be shed for those who lost their lives. But responsibilities need to be fixed for the loss of lives and compromises in matters of national security,” an editorial in Shiv Sena mouthpiece Saamna said.The newspaper wondered what answer the Centre would give to soldiers stationed at the country’s borders suffering from lack of adequate weapons. “The government has to take responsibility for the lapse. This fire cannot be called normal,” Saamna added.The newspaper noted that accidents involving the armed forces keep happening regularly. “First there were accidents in submarines. Now there is a fire at an ammunition depot. Is this due to negligence or is it a conspiracy of our enemies. If the latter is true, it is difficult to imagine the power of our enemies,” Saamna added.

Sena blames Centre for ‘carelessness’

• The loss of so much ammunition would have made our enemies such as Pakistan and China very happy. So much of loss would not happen in the case of a war…The government has to take responsibility for the lapse. This fire cannot be called normal. —An editorial in Sena mouthpiece Saamna

Vijay Mohan

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 31

The fire at the Army’s Central Ammunition Depot (CAD) in Pulgaon near Nagpur, the latest in the string of such incidents over the past many years, ought to be a wakeup call for the government over the manner in which ammunition is stored at defence installations across the country.While a series of reports by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) as well as Parliament’s Standing Committee on Defence have pointed out certain deficiencies in the firefighting and safety mechanisms, heavy encroachment around many such depots have compounded safety issues.Only a few months ago, CAG had observed that ammunition depots were functioning with risk of fire accident as the equipment and manpower were not held as per the requirement and authorisation. In eight selected depots, the deficiency of firefighting staff and main firefighting equipment was 47 and 65 per cent, respectively, during 2008-13, CAG pointed out in its report.Over the past two decades, there have been a number of fire incidents, both at ammunition depots as well as during mobilisation or hostilities, resulting in destruction of ammunition worth several thousand crore rupees.The scale of firefighting equipment and authorisation of firefighting staff was last revised by the government in March 2004. Steps for revision scales and manpower were initiated by the Director General Ordnance Services in November 2011, but could not be finalised, CAG observed.Further, the deficiency in storage accommodation of ammunition with reference to authorisation of war wastage reserves was 57 per cent, while 18 per cent ammunition was stored in temporary accommodation. According to DRDO’s Centre for Environment and Explosive Safety, which prescribes norms for storage of explosives based on storage, transport and explosive committee regulations and UN classification, there is no scope for any storage in temporary accommodation.

Less space, encroachment raise safety concerns

• Heavy encroachment around many ammunition depots and unabated construction in the notified areas has compounded safety issues
• The deficiency in storage accommodation of ammunition with reference to authorisation of war wastage reserves stands at 57 per cent
• 18 per cent of it is stored in temporary accommodation. According to safety norms, there is no scope for any storage in temporary accommodation

Beijing, May 30

Ahead of a high-level Sino-US dialogue, China today accused the Pentagon of clinging to ‘cold war’ mentality and attempting to stage a Hollywood blockbuster by deploying its modern weapons in the South China Sea to ‘terrify’ Beijing.In an angry reaction to US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter’s remarks that ‘China’s actions could erect a Great Wall of self-isolation’ in the South China Sea, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said “Carter’s remarks reflected typical American style thinking and hegemony”.“Although we have entered 21st century, some people in US still keeps the cold war mentality,” she said.China claims all but most all of the SCS which is vehemently disputed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan. US waded into the region by sending naval ships and aircraft to assert freedom of navigation around an artificial islands built by Beijing in the region to beef-up its claims. — PTI

Outskirts of Falluja, May 30 

A Reuters TV crew about 1.5 km from the city’s edge said explosions and gunfire were ripping through Naimiya, a district of Fallujah on its southern outskirts.An elite military unit, the Rapid Response Team, seized the district’s police station at midday, state television reported.The battle for Fallujah is shaping up to be one of the biggest ever fought against Islamic State, in the city where US forces waged the heaviest battles of their 2003-2011 occupation against the Sunni Muslim militant group’s precursors.Fallujah is Islamic State’s closest bastion to Baghdad, and believed to be the base from which the group has plotted an escalating campaign of suicide bombings against Shia civilians and government targets inside the capital.As government forces pressed their onslaught, suicide bombers driving a car and a motorcycle and another bomb planted in a car killed more than 20 people and injured more than 50 in three districts of Baghdad, police and medical sources said.Separately, Kurdish security forces announced advances against Islamic State in northern Iraq, capturing villages from militants outside Mosul, the biggest city under militant control.The Iraqi army launched its operation to recover Fallujah a week ago, first by tightening a six-month-old siege around the city 50 km west of Baghdad.Fallujah, in the heartland of Sunni Muslim tribes who resent the Shia-led government in Baghdad, was the first Iraqi city to fall to Islamic State in January 2014. A Shia militia coalition known as Popular Mobilization, or Hashid Shaabi, was seeking to consolidate the siege by dislodging militants from Saqlawiya, a village just to the north of Fallujah. — Reuters

Fallujah — An Islamist militant stronghold

• Fallujah has been a bastion of the Sunni insurgency that fought both the US occupation of Iraq and the Shia-led Baghdad govt that took over after the fall of Saddam Hussein
• American troops suffered some of their worst losses of the war there in two battles in 2004 to wrest it back from Al-Qaida in Iraq, the insurgent group now known as Islamic State
• Fallujah is the second-largest Iraqi city still under control of the militants, after Mosul, their de facto capital in the north that had a pre-war population of about 2 million
• It would be the third major city in Iraq recaptured by the government after Saddam’s home town Tikrit and Ramadi, the capitalof Iraq’s vast western Anbar province

Islamic State bombings kill 24 in Baghdad

• A wave of bombings claimed by the Islamic State group targeted commercial areas in and around Baghdad on Monday, killing at least 24 people in attacks that came as Iraqi troops poised to recapture Fallujah
• The bombings by IS, which has been behind several recent deadly attacks in Baghdad and beyond, are seen as an attempt by the militants to divert the security forces’ attention away from the front lines
• In an online statement, IS claimed responsibility for the attacks, saying they targeted members of the Shiamilitias and a government office

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 29

A section of ex-servicemen in Punjab today sought to unite various factions of veterans in the state in an endeavour to become a “recognisable force” that could effectively help address their issues and problems and work towards becoming a political player in the long run.“Our immediate aim is to bring all ex-servicemen’s organisations under one umbrella and muster enough strength to enable us to initiate and implement effective measures for welfare of all veterans as well as other sections of the society,” said Col MS Bajwa (retd), general secretary of the Core Group of Ex-servicemen, Punjab, during its plenary session here today.Representatives from several other ex-servicemen’s organisations such as Indian Ex-servicemen’s League, Sainik Ekta Party, Sanjha Morcha and Indian Ex-servicemen Movement too attended the meet.Col Bajwa said there were a large number of such organisations, which are divided and hence not able to do what is required, due to which ex-servicemen or their dependants are running from pillar to post.“At a later stage, we can also consider affiliation with a party which we feel is doing good work in Punjab and can help the cause of ex-servicemen,” he said, adding that a roadmap has been drawn up for spreading awareness at the grass-roots level about the group’s aims and intentions

NOTE :::BUNDLE OF LIES 

The above News published in the Tribune is totally false and fabricated and  a white-lie. Not a single member from  Sanjha Morcha attended the meet nor Col MS Bajwa had the decency to intimate/request any of the Core Committee members of Sanjha Morcha.  No Agenda for the meeting was circulated .The meeting was without any fruit full purpose  for welfare of ESM but to garner support for Political purpose and full fill their political ambitions. Sanjha Morcha is above political ambitions and does not ever get involved in petty politics of ESM . Naming Sanjha Morcha is to garner support of ESM and Sanjha Morcha members and fool ESM community.

Col Charanjit Singh Khera(Retd)

Gen secy

Sanjha Morcha

Lt Gen KJ Singh, GOC-in-C, Western Command

Tribune News Service

Solan, May 26

In a bid to inspire students from elite public schools to join the armed forces in view of their declining interest towards this profession, Lt Gen KJ Singh, General Officer Commanding in Chief (GOC in C), Western Command, today addressed the students of The Lawrence School at Sanawar and motivated them to choose a career in the armed forces.Delivering a talk on “Leadership – A Way of Life” in the school, he reminisced his days as a trainee at the National Defence Academy where he came across officers from this school and always looked with awe at Sanawar. He inspired the students to opt for a career in the armed forces, which helped in bringing out the cutting edge leadership in an individual.He said,“It is the leadership packaged into a concept called management, which has evolved as an important tool of running corporate sectors in today’s world.”Delving into the essence of the Indian Army, he described it as a secular and apolitical entity, which was living and fighting for the name of the battalion (naam), owing allegiance (namak) to the nation while upholding its honour (flag or Nishaan).He said, “The officers laying down their lives are far more in the Indian Army than other armies, as we are trained to lead from the front.” As future leaders, administrators and business tycoons of the country, he urged the students to employ the soldiers who superannuate at a young age for their sense of loyalty and discipline.He said, “You cannot fool the world, your character should be strong and only then will you be followed by the people. He advised the students to be proactive and realise their aims. He said they should inculcate various qualities like a strong will-power, physical and moral courage, quick decision making, human-relation skills, tolerance for ambiguity, wisdom and vision, equanimity, team-building and apt management skills.He compared the Army to a mobile with dual SIMs of one’s family and regiment, where regiment takes precedence over the family owing to a sense of camaraderie. He concluded his address by saying that “if you want to thank a soldier, be the kind of Indian worth fighting for”.Headmaster Vinay Pandey gave a memento to the GOC in C as a token of appreciation and gratitude.

An Armyman shows defence equipment to visitors during a exhibition in Panchkula on Monday. Triune Photo: Nitin Mittal

Chandigarh, May 16

To encourage the regional industry to harness the opportunity in the manufacture and supply of equipment to the defence sector, a roundtable was organised by the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry where senior members of the armed forces and representatives of the industry interacted with each other to chalk out a viable course of action today.Over 200 participants, including defence experts, industrialists and top government officials, attended the event that was held in association with the Western Command and the No.3 Base Repair Depot. Lt Gen KJ Singh, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Command, said in the era of competition, the focus should be on raising the benchmark.  Stressing that micro, small and medium enterprises needed to produce quality equipment, he added that there was a dire need to take the Chinese model head-on. Karan Avtar Singh, Additional Chief Secretary, Punjab, gave an insight into the state government’s policy on investment promotion, especially fiscal incentives and one-stop clearance for projects, to encourage investors in the MSME sector.Maj RS Bedi (retd), co-chairman of PHDCCI’s, defence and HLS committee, said the aim of the roundtable series was to explain the procurement procedures and related rules and regulations to the industry, specifically the MSMEs.Rajiv Chib, director, aerospace and defence, PWC, said the “make in India” was an important focus of defence procurement procedure (DPP) issued by the Defence Ministry. Pointing out that as many as 28 offsets contract, valued at $ 6 billion dollars had been signed so far, he added that the MSMEs should be given preference over non-MSMES in the selection of development agencies in case they met the eligibility criteria at any stage. An exhibition of items indigenised by the armed forces was also put up.— TNS