Tribune News Service

New Delhi, October 30

In an important development, the matter of the rank-parity is being looked into in ‘great detail’ by the Ministry of Defence (MoD), including the vital letter sent by the Prime Minister’s Office in December 2008. The letter mentioned setting up a high-powered committee to sort out parity issues.Top sources have confirmed that ‘no false equivalence’ will be allowed.  The rank-parity issue was highlighted by The Tribune in a three-part series recently.(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)A  three-member committee headed by an Additional Secretary-rank officer had been tasked to study rank-equivalence norms between the armed forces and the civilians employed in the Armed Forces Headquarters, called the AFHQ cadre.The forces had lodged a serious protest, questioning the veracity of claims in the report and the documents relied upon.Sources said the MoD was looking into all angles of the rank-parity issue. Discussions are happening in the ministry and in no situation will the ministry stand to benefit or side with any one of the two sides — the forces and the AFHQ cadre of civilians. “The idea is not to benefit one side at the cost of the other, whichever that is,” sources said.Meanwhile, the MoD, in a bid to promote domestic defence manufacturing, is mulling on formulating a method under which obtaining security clearance from the Home Ministry, if delayed, will be “deemed to be approved”.After a recent meeting between Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and representatives from the industry, the defence ministry is now discussing measures to help private sector industries get a final clearance, in case their request has been pending for a long time.The MoD has also asked the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to prepare a list of defence technologies it has developed and has not been given to any government or private sector for manufacturing. “Some technologies have already been given to private sector. We will work with DRDO to make a list of items which can be commercialised,” said a source.

The Elphinstone railway stations foot overbridge where a stampede took place, in Mumbai. PTI

Mumbai, October 31

The Army will hep build a new foot overbridge at the Elphinstone Road station, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis today said as Union ministers Nirmala Sitharaman and Piyush Goyal visited the station, where a deadly stampede took place last month.Fadnavis, who accompanied Defence minister Sitharaman and Railway Minister Goyal, said the Army will also help in building foot overbridges at two other stations here.23 people were killed in a stampede on the Elphinstone Road station foot overbridge (FOB) last month.”We are taking the Army’s help in building a new FOB at the Elphinstone Road station and at two other suburban train stations in Mumbai,” Fadnavis told reporters at the venue.”I have been informed that the work on these bridges will be completed by January 31,” he said.After the stampede on September 29, railway officials posted police personnel to manage the crowd on busy platforms, evicted hawkers from suburban train stations and started speeding up infrastructure projects on suburban network. — PTI

Nitish Sharma

Tribune News Service

Ambala, October 24

The Defence Minister has decided to give military farms in Ambala, Belguam, Secunderabad, Jammu and Meerut on lease to the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).The Cabinet Committee on Security gave its approval on July 14 to close down all 39 military farms within three months. Fourteen such farms had already been shut down.Sources say it was decided in a meeting chaired by the Defence Minister recently to give these five military farms on lease to the ICAR.The sources say the Eastern Command has also been asked to identify military farms for leasing out to the ICAR in the Northeast and East.Dr Nandoo Yadav, general secretary, Military Farm Non-gazetted Employees’ Union, says: “Giving out the farms on lease is not a solution as after sometimes, the farms will be closed down.” The farms were to be closed by October 14 and the cattle handed over to the government agencies, veterinary universities and gaushalas, but no one came forward to take cattle. Now, the farms are expected to be closed by March 2018.”Yadav says permanent employees will be shifted to other departments, but there are no directions regarding temporary employees. With the closure of all farms, hundreds of temporary employees working in these farms for the past 20 to 30 years will be sacked. “Those who have been sacked so far have not been given any gratuity or compensation. They have not even been served any notice. Labour laws have been violated and hundreds of employees have been denied their legitimate rights,” he adds.The union has requested the Defence Ministry and the Prime Minister to review the decision. “The ministry has been advised not to close down the farms instantly. A policy should be adopted not to rear calves and sell them to the local population. By this way, 30 per cent strength of the animals will reduce every year and the department will close down automatically within three years,” he adds.The union had approached the SC against the Centre’s decision to close down 39 military farms across the country, but the court had asked it to approach the High Court first. The union approached the Delhi High Court on Monday and the case would come up for hearing this week, he says.

A joint party of the police, the Army and the CRPF nabbed the two militants, who were riding a mnotorcycle. Tribune file

Srinagar, October 16

Security forces have unearthed a militant module with the arrest of three ultras from Kulgam district of Jammu and Kashmir.Kashmir Inspector General of Police Munir Khan on Monday said three militants–two from the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) and one from the Hizbul Mujahideen–were arrested over the past three days from south Kashmir.“On October 14, two terrorists with the intention to snatch weapons of personal security guards of a protected person fired a few rounds at Kund in Qazigund area. But they had to beat a retreat due to the hue and cry raised by locals,” Khan told reporters here.

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He said on receipt of this information, a joint party of the police, the Army and the CRPF established a check point and nabbed the two militants, who were riding a mnotorcycle.“They were identified as Khursheed Ahmad Dar and Haziq Rather. One pistol, some ammunition and a live grenade were recovered from their possession. They belong to LeT,” he added.Khan said an over-ground worker of militants–Rameez Yatoo, who worked in a medical agency in Kulgam, was arrested.“Arms and ammunition were recovered from his home. He had helped the militants in carrying out the attack on the police vehicle at Damhal Hanjipura on Saturday in which one cop lost his life,” the IGP said, adding that the attack was carried out by militants of Hizbul Mujahideen.Khan said the offer of surrender to local militants still held good. “They should lay down their arms and we will provide all support in rehabilitating them.”Police on Friday had arrested a Jaish-e-Mohammad militant, who was involved in the attack on a cavalcade of works minister Naeem Akhtar last month, from Tral area of Pulwama district. PTI

IGP, Kashmir, Muneer Khan (left) and CRPF IG Zulfikar Hassan address the media in Srinagar. Tribune Photo: Amin War

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, October 16

Security forces in Kashmir on Monday made a renewed offer of surrender to local militants even as three local militants were arrested in the past few days.“We again appeal to local militants to surrender and live a normal life,” Inspector General of Police, Kashmir, Muneer Khan said at a press conference in Srinagar.He said they would fully support the local militants who surrendered before the security forces, even during gunfights.“Even if they surrender during encounters with the security forces, we are ready to accept such surrenders,” Khan said.Senior security officers had last month also made a joint appeal to local militants to surrender. The CRPF IG (Operations), Zulfikar Hassan, who was present during the media briefing, said they were appealing to local militants to not come under the influence of foreign militants.Khan said three militants, including two from the Lashkar-e-Toiba and one from Hizbul Mujahideen, were arrested in the past three days from south Kashmir. The three militants were today presented before the media.The IGP said the two Lashkar militants Khur sheed Ahmed Dar and Haziq Rather who tried to snatch weapons from the guards of a protected person in Qazigund, Kulgam, were arrested on October 14 in a joint operation.Khan said overground worker Rameez Yatoo, who helped militants of the Hizbul Mujahideen carry out the attack on a police vehicle at Damhal Hanji Pora in Kulgam, was also arrested.“Yatoo works in a medical agency in Kulgam. Arms and ammunition were recovered from his home,” the IGP said.On the mysterious braid-chopping incidents in Kashmir, the IGP said they had begun scientific investigation in such cases.“There is no cooperation from the victims or from their families. We have started scientific examination of the cases,” Khan said while ruling out the need for lie-detector test of the victims.Khan said SSPs and SHOs had been instructed to collect the samples of blood to know about the chemical used for making the victims unconscious.Inputs on Musa

• IGP, Kashmir, Muneer Khan said the police were analysing the input that radical militant Zakir Musa had held a meeting with a group of foreign Lashkar-e-Toiba militants in Budgam district who had infiltrated recently into the Valley
• “We are verifying the inputs about the meeting,” Khan said
• On braid-chopping incidents in Kashmir, the IGP said they had begun scientific investigation in such cases

Majid Jahangir

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, October 15

At least 70 militants have infiltrated into Kashmir from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir so far this year.According to the Multi-Agency Centre, 70 militants, mostly from the Lashkar-e-Toiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad, had managed to sneak into the Valley this year, sources said. MAC is a nodal agency that comprises security and intelligence officials for assessing the ground situation.“Infiltration attempts are being constantly made. The Army has been able to eliminate at least 60 militants along the Line of Control in Kashmir. However, 70 militants have been able to sneak into the Valley,” the sources said.However, a senior Army officer said the ground input was that around 45 militants had managed to sneak into the Valley.“According to the Army and police assessment, around 45 militants have managed to infiltrate into the Valley. There is some discrepancy with the MAC figures and that is being looked into,” the senior Army officer said.However, he maintained that infiltration figures were less than last year’s.At least 87 militants had managed to enter the Valley till September last year, and the number went to 112 till the end of the year, the highest since 2012.The Army officer claimed that militants from across would be now be making desperate attempts to sneak into the Valley as snow closes the mountain passes along LoC in the region for the next five or six months of winter.“We are expecting more action along the LoC as more attempts will be made to push militants in the coming months,” the officer said. “We may also see BAT action close to the LoC and we are ready for the challenges. Recently, three BAT attacks were foiled along the LoC in Kashmir.This year 166 militants, including top commanders of the Hizbul Mujahideen, Lashkar-e-Toiba and Jaish have been killed by the security forces this year so far. There are over 220 militants active in Kashmir.

The new ADG, Major-Gen Jugesh Chaudry, of PHH & CNCC Directorate visits the NCC HQ at Sarabha Nagar. Tribune photo

Ludhiana: The New ADG Major General, Jugesh Chaudry of PHH&C, NCC Directorate, visited the NCC Group head quarter at Sarabha Nagar. He was welcomed by the Commander Brigadier Narinder Kumar. The ADG took stock of the training being carried out and appreciated the efforts being put by instructor, ANOs and cadets. The ADG spoke with the cadets, the instructors and the ANOs at the PI Club at Punjab Mata Nagar. He encouraged the cadets to take part in all the NCC activities and take maximum advantage of facilities such as shooting, riding and flying for better career opportunities. He also felicitated the instructor, cadets including Cadet Ashiyna, who won the ‘Best Cadet’ award in the PM Rally 2017.

Srinagar, October 11

Two policemen have been detained for questioning on charges of supplying ammunition to militants in Shopian district of Jammu and Kashmir, the police said on Wednesday.The policemen were detained in Shopian following disclosure made by two over-ground workers who were arrested earlier this week, police sources said.Director General of Police SP Vaid confirmed that the policemen had been detained.“They have not been arrested yet. They are being questioned as part of the investigations,” Vaid said. PTI

JeM commander killed in Baramulla gunfight

Umer Khalid carried reward of Rs 7 lakh; 3 Hizb ultras shot

Subedar Raj Kumar

Majid Jahangir

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, October 9

Umer Khalid, the chief operations commander of the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), was today gunned down in a brief gunfight at Ladoora Baramulla, 60 km from Srinagar. Later in the evening during search operations in Gatipora, Shopian, three Hizbul militants holed up inside a house were shot dead.Policemen in civvies today laid a naka near Ladoora village, located along the Baramulla-Handwara highway, following intelligence inputs that Khalid was in the area. “Intercepted and challenged by the police, Khalid hurled a grenade and opened fire. The police retaliated. Injured, Khalid took refuge in a residential building. Subsequently, a joint operation was launched and the militant was neutralised in a brief gunfight,” said a police officer. Sources claimed Khalid was not carrying any rifle.(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)Khalid had been operating in the area for the past two or three years and was instrumental in arranging recruits for the terror outfit, the police said. He had recently carried out an attack on an SPO and his seven-year-old son at Handwara. An A++ category terrorist, he carried a cash reward of Rs 7 lakh on his head.Reports had warned of Jaish planning more fidayeen attacks in Kashmir. The police believe Khalid had a role in the two recent attacks — one on the BSF battalion headquarters near the high-security Srinagar airport and the other on the District Police Lines at Pulwama. The attacks were carried out by Jaish’s “Afzal Guru Squad”.State police chief Shesh Paul Vaid called Khalid’s killing “a big success for the forces”. He said more than 160 militants had been killed this year so far.

JCO from Kangra dies

• In Drang, Budgam district, a Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) of 53 Rashtriya Rifles, Subedar Raj Kumar, 46, a resident of Khanni Nurpur, Kangra, was killed when a patrol party was attacked on Sunday night.