Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, July 11

The Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) Kulwant Singh, today called upon the ex-servicemen to come forward to wipe out the curse of drugs from the Jalandhar district.

Addressing the gathering after flagging off an anti-drug bike rally organised by Ex-Servicemen Welfare Association under Drug Abuse Prevention Officer (DAPO) programme from here today, the ADC, while recalling the stellar role of Armed forces in preserving the unity, integrity and sovereignty of the country, said: The Ex-servicemen have given the prime of their youth to country”

He said it was really proud moment for them to witness Ex-servicemen taking part in the rally which aims to make Jalandhar a drug-free district, adding that it was the need of hour that everyone should join hands to combat the menace.

“The DAPO is one of the ambitious initiatives of the state government which aims at eliminating the drugs from the state with the active support of people.”

(ADC) Kulwant Singh solicited the support of every section of society for this noble cause.

Ex-serviceman dies in mishap

Hoshiarpur, July 10

Avtar Singh (74), an ex-serviceman and a resident of Ghukarwal village, was seriously injured when an SUV hit his scooter near Jiyan village on Chandigarh Road on Tuesday.

He was admitted to a private hospital where he breathed his last. The Chabbewal police handed over the body to the family after autopsy, which was conducted at the Civil Hospital, Hoshiarpur, today. The victim was on his way to Ghukarwal villlage.

The driver of the SUV managed to escape from the spot. The police have registered a case in this regard. — OC

SHIMLA: 

Massive mudslides hit the Chandigarh-Shimla national highway between Parwanoo and Solan towns in Himachal Pradesh on Saturday owing to heavy overnight rains, that led to traffic snarls and posed a serious threat to motorists.

The movement of traffic was hampered almost throughout the day due to massive landslides along the highway in Solan district.

Motorists said the maximum landslips were on a 30-km stretch between Parwanoo and Kumarhatti, where over 20 km was either damaged or piled with boulders and muck.

They said the falling debris threatens their safety while travelling through this stretch that has been excavated recently for highway widening.

The executing agency – National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) – for the project which aims to cut the travel time between Chandigarh and Himachal capital Shimla by shortening the distance by 17 kms — cleared the road from of boulders and mud.

The entire stretch from Parwanoo to Solan towns has become a permanent landslide zone particularly Chakki ka Mor. The risk of driving is aggravated after dusk, said motorist Deepak Nayyar.

He said there were frequent incidents of landslips and falling rocks hitting moving vehicles owing to fragile and loose strata with vertical cutting of the hills for the expansion of the highway.

Geologists blame unscientific cutting of precipitous hills, largely of shell, sandstone and clay, for the frequent landslips.

“Most of these mountain slopes are of sedimentary formation and have become destabilised with the reckless cutting by heavy earth-moving machinery. The loose and naked boulders with muck will continue to roll down on the highway for eight to 10 years more,” former state geologist Arun Sharma told IANS.

“On the Parwanoo to Solan stretch, most of the hill cutting was done largely vertically than horizontally. At some points, large-scale vertical cutting was carried out,” added Sharma, a member of the Environment Ministry’s State Expert Appraisal Committee to assess projects.

Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari informed the Rajya Sabha on July 8 that the work on four-laning of the stretch between Parwanoo and Solan would be completed within the next six to eight months as the bottlenecks have been removed.

He said the project was being undertaken at a cost of Rs. 750 crore and almost 75 per cent of the work has been completed.

Chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh felicitated around 100 sportspersons, including veterans, with the Maharaja Ranjit Singh Award in Chandigarh on Tuesday. The CM also visited the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, to present the award to hockey legend and three-time Olympic gold medallist Balbir Singh Senior. The award, which was instituted in 1978, carries a cash prize of ₹2 lakh, a trophy of Maharaja Ranjit Singh in armour atop a steed, a blazer and a scroll. Saying that the award has been re-instituted after a decade and would now be an annual event, Amarinder added that he would recommend Balbir’s name for Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian award in the country.

Legendary athletes Milkha Singh, Gurbachan Singh Randhawa, Kamaljeet Kaur Sandhu, 1975 hockey World Cup winning skipper Ajit Pal Singh, former Indian cricket team skipper Bishen Singh Bedi, Olympic medallist hockey players Col Balbir Singh and Brigadier Harcharan Singh were among the sportspersons who were bestowed with the state honour.

Triple Olympic hockey gold medallist Balbir Singh, who is hospitalised, couldn’t attend the ceremony. The Punjab CM will honour him at a special ceremony later.

Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, July 9

The Punjab Government after a gap of almost a decade re-introduced Maharaja Ranjit Singh awards and honoured 20 legends and 81 other players, who brought laurels to the state at a function, today.

The Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh honoured a total of 101 players with state’s highest honour ‘Maharaja Ranjit Singh Award’ along with Punjab Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi and Sanjay Kumar, Secretary Sports.

The winners were awarded with a cash award of Rs 2lakh along with a trophy memento. The Punjab Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi also announced that the government has decided to increase the prize money to Rs 5lakh from next year. “The Punjab government has decided to increase the prize money to Rs 5lakh from next year. We have also decided to increase the quota of inviting seats for awarding this prestigious award,” said Sodhi.  “I don’t know the reason behind not giving the awards in past years. But keeping in mind its importance, we will ensure it to be regular feature. I congratulate the Sports Minister and Secretary Sports for their effort in bringing back the Punjab’s legacy,” said Captain Amarinder Singh. The amended sports policy of the state was also launched. Former players

Balbir Singh Sr, Milkha Singh, Gurbachan Singh Randhawa, Ajit Pal Singh, Bishan Singh Bedi, Kamaljeet Kaur Sandhu, Brigadier Harcharan Singh, Colonel Balbir Singh, Baldev Singh, Harmik Singh, Hardeep Singh, Jagjeet Singh, Gulshan Rai, Jaipal Singh, Gurpreet Singh, Balwinder Singh, Paramjit Singh and Harbhajan SinghAwardees for 2011 

Rajpal Singh, Rajinder Singh Rahelu, Heena Sidhu, Mandeep Sidhu, Mandeep Kaur, Gagandeep Kaur, Dilawar Singh, Kuljit Singh, Jagdeep Singh, Komalpreet Shukla, Ravipal, Ranjit Kaur, Mankiran Kaur, Gurchand Singh, Hardeep Singh and Manjit Singh

2012

Navpreet Kaur, Sunita Rani, Gurinder Singh, Amrit Singh, Shammipreet Kaur, Kiranjit Kaur, Rajwant Kaur, Sarwanjit Singh, Sahil Pathania, Jashandeep Singh, Lakhbir Kaur, Navjot Kaur, Ranjit Singh and Mahabir Singh

2013

Mandeep Kaur, Amandeep Kaur, Sapna Dutta, Samit Singh and Triptpal Singh

2014

Davinder Singh, Gurbaaz Singh, Jasmine, Mandeep Singh and Baljit Singh

2015

Arpinder Singh, Trisha Deb, Shahbaz Singh Bhangoo, Dharamvir Singh, Aman Kumar, Rubi Tomar, Shiv Kumar, Vikas Thakur, Davinder Singh and Amandeep Sharma

2016

Swaran Singh Virk, Khushbir Kaur, Kanwalpreet Singh, Amjot Singh, Rekha Rani, Neelam Rani, Prabhjot Kaur Bajwa, Maninder Kaur, Gurwinder Singh, Rajwinder Kaur, Gurinder Singh, Malaika Goyal, Gurpreet Singh, Jasvir Kaur, Parul Gupta

2017

Raj Rani, Amandeep Kaur (handball) , Amandeep Kaur (hockey), Varinder Kumar, Ajitesh Kaushal, Davinder Singh and Sanjeev Kumar

Awardees for 2018

Manpreet Singh, Navjit Kaur Dhillon, Ramandeep Kaur, Gurjit Kaur, Randeep Kaur, Veerpal Kaur, Navneet Kaur, Sahil Chopra, Harshdeep Kaur and Veena Arora

Prior to 17.01.2013, the Next of Kins (NOKs) of Armed Force Pensioner who got re-employed in civil department after getting retired from military service were authorised to draw Ordinary Family Pension (OFP) either from military side or from civil side whichever was beneficial to them in terms of GoI, MoD letter No. 10(6)/92/D(Pens/Sers) dated 28.09.1992.

Vide GoI, MoD letter dated 17.01.2013 & 21.03.2013, it was decided that the families of Armed Forces pensioners who got re-employed in civil departments/military after getting retired from military service and were in receipt of military pension till death, shall be allowed to draw family pension from military side in addition to the family pension, if any, authorised from the re-employed civil department.

The Government has been receiving grievances from various quarters for grant of dual family pension including Special Family Pension/Liberalised Family Pension where death of the re-employed government servant is attributable to government service.

The matter has been examined in the Ministry and now, it has been decided by the Ministry of Defence that Special Family Pension (SFP)/Liberalised Family Pension (LFP), would be admissible on death of a pensioner who was re-employed in military service and if his death is attributable to military service, in addition to Ordinary Family Pension in respect of the previous military/civil service subject to fulfilment of other condition as mentioned in the said Government letter.

Kind regards
G.S.Sidhu
Chairman
AFVAI

Income tax rates remained unchanged from the interim budget, which means the slight relief announced in February will continue except for the super rich, who will have to pay more

SLABS REMAIN UNCHANGED

The three tax slabs are 5%, 20% and 30%. The budget has increased surcharge for income above ~2 crore and ~5 crore. Also, individuals with income up to ~5 lakh get a tax rebate.

A Twitter user identifying himself as a ‘veteran jawan’ accused former Western Army Commander Lt Gen. K.J. Singh (retd) of keeping a platoon for household chores, among other charges.

New Delhi: Army veteran Lt Gen. K.J. Singh (retd) Monday got into a Twitter spat with a user identifying himself as “veteran jawan”, who alleged that Singh had treated jawans as “slaves” and kept a platoon at his home for performing household chores while he was in service.

Singh, a former Western Army Commander, was recently made a state information commissioner by the Haryana government.

The handle, @OROP_for_JAWANS, further alleged that Singh did not check the downgrade of jawans during successive pay commissions while he was in service and also faced a CBI inquiry on serious charges.

Singh refuted the allegations, saying that he never had a platoon, and that he was actually most frugal in his approach.

“I never had platoon & in one secret audit created by my Corps Cdr, I was found 2 b most frugal in running flag staff house. Don’t really need ur certification as I still care & work 4 Jawans. Jai Hind (sic),” he tweeted.

“Martyr JCO’s daughter became BDO first time. My Dharma, I work 4 men. U seem 2 follow- destroy officers reputation. Even this thread started on logic & policy. U made it personal. Reduce toxicity(sic),” Singh wrote.

The person behind the Twitter handle later identified himself to ThePrint as veteran junior warrant officer (Indian Air Force) Nalin Talwar, national spokesperson of the Saabka Sainik Sangharsh Committee, an organisation fighting for soldiers’ rights.

Asked why he chose to be anonymous on Twitter, Talwar said it is because the handle was created to fight for one rank, one pension for jawans as “no one cared or spoke about them”.

The court was hearing pleas against a ban on spraying of disinfectants and pesticides in aircraft

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, July 28

The Army paid a befitting tribute to late Lance Naik Rajinder Singh, who was killed on the Line of Control while foiling an infiltration bid in the frontier Kupwara district on Saturday.

In a solemn ceremony at the Badami Bagh Cantonment on Sunday, Lt Gen KJS Dhillon, Commander of the Chinar Corps (also called the 15 Corps), and all ranks paid homage to the soldier on behalf of the nation.

“In a show of solidarity, representatives from other security agencies also joined in to pay their last respects to the martyr,” an Army statement said.

Lance Naik Singh (26) was deployed along the LoC in Machil sector, when during an infiltration bid by militants he was hit by a bullet in the ensuing firefight.

“He was provided immediate first aid and evacuated to 92 Base Hospital, but unfortunately succumbed to his injuries. In him, the Army has lost a brave, dedicated and highly motivated soldier,” the statement added.

The late soldier hailed from Pabbarali Kalan of Gurdaspur, Punjab. He had joined the Army in 2014 and is survived by his wife and a son.