The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Chandigarh Stories

ARMED FORCES

Stagnation in Army Medical Corps
By Vijay Mohan
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Jan 4 — While a number of additional posts approved recently for Army Medical Corps (AMC) officers in infantry divisions will help in offsetting the stagnation created by the two year service extention, the AMC is faced with a peculiar situation — its top brass is continuing in service despite having crossed the stipulated retirement age.

According to sources, 31 additional posts for AMC officers have been sanctioned at the division level. These will be held by officers holding the rank of a full Colonel, with the appointment of Assistant-Director Medical Services (ADMS). Reporting directly to the General Officer Commanding of the formation, ADMSs will be responsible for planning and execution of medical services within their respective divisions. A division consists of 18,000 to 20,000 troops, including service and support elements.

Sources add that a similar set-up had existed earlier in infantry divisions, but had been abolished years back.

While this move will create some leverage for upward as well as lateral movement in the middle rung category, the bloated top-rung continues to face a problem of redundancy and stagnation.

Sources reveal that over seven Lieutenant-Generals, 15 Major-Generals, 35 Brigadiers and 80 Colonels and their equivalents in the other two sevices have crossed the stipulated retirement age of 60 years, but continue to remain in service. Seven Lieutenant-Generals or equivalent in this category implies that all AMC officers in this rank have crossed the stipulated age limit. As per authorisation, Lieutenant-Generals or equivalents hold the appointments of Director-General (DG), Armed Forces Medical Services, DGs of medical services in the three services, Commandant AMC Centre and School, Commandant Armed Forces Medical College and DG, Hospitals and Planning.

The situation arose when the retirement age was raised by two years in mid-1998. In 1968, the superannunation age of AMC officers had been fixed at 60 years and when the service extention came through, the retirement age of AMC officers remained the same instead of being raised to 62 years as was being expected. Only the service chiefs, who earlier retired at 60 years, serve up to 62 years.

A representation for enhancing the retirement age of AMC officers to 62 years on the grounds that their retirement age be brought at par with service chiefs as was the case earlier, was forwarded to the government.

While the representation is still pending with the Government, all AMC retirements were put on hold, which affected postings and promotions. Significantly, the first batch of service officers set to retire in about four months, when the two-year extention period is neutralised, even as the redressal to the representation appears nowhere in sight.

The two-year extention has created a severe stagnation in the middle rung of the AMC, which is already facing shortage of officers to the tune of about 35 per cent. A large number of vacancies meant for specialists are lying vacant. Sources say that the problem is particularly severe at the Lieutenant-Colonel's level. An AMC Lieutenant-Colonel is eligible for promotion to Colonel after 26 years of service, whereas in the arms the period is 21 years. Sources point out that even the Army Service Corps revised its personnel policy to offset stagnation by reducing the eligibility period for promotion after the Fifth Pay Commission recommendations were implemented.

A major factor for posts lying vaccant is that there is no provision for acting or field rank in the AMC as in some arms. This has led to Lieutenant-Colonels holding posts meant for Colonels without being given the status of the next rank for the requisite duration.

Raising Day amidst reunion
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Jan 4 — The 61 Engineer Regiment celebrated its 35th Raising Day and reunion with great enthusiasm and fanfare somewhere in the western sector today. This is the regiment which was airlifted to Orissa on November 1 last for carrying out relief work in cyclone-hit areas and has recently returned after doing a commendable job.

The two-day celebrations were marked by a special sainik sammelan, a social get-together for serving as well as retired officers and their families, pagal gymkhana, cultural programme, bara khana and a painting competition for children.

Addressing a special sainik sammelan, the Chief Engineer, Western Command, Maj Gen Inderjeet Singh Dhillon, who is also one of the founding officers of the regiment, exhorted the officers and men to uphold the glorious traditions of the regiment in the true spirit of its motto, ‘’Yatna Aur Shoorta’’. He recalled the sacrifices made by their predecessors to motivate the present generation.

Outlining welfare activities, the regiment’s Commanding Officer, Col Anil Teri, said that machines to knit socks are being set up for regimental ladies in the unit welfare centre. A sewing machine was presented free of cost to Havildar Jaswant Singh, who lost a leg in an accident.

Maj Gen Dhillon also presented the Inter Company Championship Banner and trophy to the Regiment’s 102 Field Company. These were received by Capt K.S.K. Singh and Maj Sanjay Rathore.

Raised on September 11, 1965, at Roorkee by Lt Col R.S. Sunderam, the regiment has carved a niche for itself in the annals of Indian military history. Soon after its raising, the regiment displayed its professional acumen by constructing three extremely difficult Bailey bridges in the Spiti Valley and at the Rohtang Pass in Himachal Pradesh.

The unit was baptised by fire in the 1971 Indo-Pak war, during which it was awarded Theatre Honour Jammu and Kashmir — one of the few engineer regiments to be conferred a theatre honour.

It has also been tasked flood relief work in Punjab and repairing the breach to the Bhakra canal, besides designing and fabricating all weather shelters in inhospitable terrain and inclement weather conditions.

For its services, the regiment has been awarded one Ati Vishist Seva Medal, one Shaurya Chakra, five Sena Medals, one Vishist Seva Medal, 12 Chief of the Army Staff’s Commendation Cards and 19 GOC-in-C’s Commendation Cards.

SPORT

Vishal wins snooker title
By Our Sports Reporter

CHANDIGARH, Jan 4 — Vishal Gupta won the snooker title at the 17th Chandigarh Open State Junior under-21 Snooker and Billiards Tournament, being played at Chandigarh Billiards Coaching Centre, Sector 22, here today.

He defeated Kapil Chadha 39-40, 55-27, 53-27, 40-51, 66-31, 70-40 in the final. In the semi-finals, he upset Mohit Bajaj, the top seed. Vishal won 60-35, 54-23, 58-51.

In other matches, Anandit Joshi outplayed Pramodh Kumar 3-1 and Tarun Malik outclassed Rahul Khera 3-0. In junior billiards section, Pramodh Kumar beat Robin 150-85 and Kapil defeated Anshuman 170-127.

Sanjeev to lead: Sanjeev Maria of AG (Audit) Haryana, Chandigarh, will lead the UT under-21 football team, which will take part in the under-21 National Football Championship (north zone), to be held at Mandi (HP) from January 6 to 13, according to Mr Rakesh Bakshi, Secretary of the Chandigarh Football Association. Other teams in its group are Jammu and Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh.

Other members of the team are Navjot Singh, Surinder Singh, Jagmohan Singh, Jatin Malhotra, Vinod, Vijayant, Ashish Jain, Surjit Singh, Kamaljit Singh, Dinesh, Munish, Arvinder Saini, Shesh Nag, Gurjit Singh, Manmohan Singh, Atish and Lakhwinder Singh. Mr Yadvinder Singh and Mr C.P. Malik will accompany the team as coach and manager, respectively.

Tennis tourney: The UT Sports Department will organise the Lake Club Open Tennis Tournament from January 7 to 9 at Lake Club tennis courts in boys' under-12 and under-14 and girls' under-16 sections. Entries close with Mr Baldev Singh by January 6.

Patiala Police win: Patiala Police beat Heroes Club Ambala 3-1 on the opening day of the Kanwaljit Jolly Memorial Football Tournament at Ambala. In another match, Lions Football Club Ambala and Diamond Club Kalka were 1-1 at the close of normal time. In the tie-breaker, Lions Club Ambala won 5-3.

The District Football Association, Ambala, will organise a state-level cash prize football tournament at Ambala from January 28 to February 1. This was stated by Mr Navdeep Singh Virk, President of the association.

ADMINISTRATION

UT amends rehabilitation policy
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Jan 4 — After two decades the Chandigarh Administration today finally amended its much-criticised rehabilitation policy. Under the new scheme jhuggi dwellers, who were not on the electoral rolls before December 8, 1996, will not be eligible for allotments after the amendment carried out following a notification.

The scheme, namely “Licensing of Tenements and Sites and Services in Chandigarh Scheme, 1979” was basically for resettlement of jhuggi dwellers or slum dwellers at appropriate places, and to remove them from the unhygienic conditions existing in the unauthorised colonies.

Through a notification issued today, the Administration has amended the said rehabilitation scheme that led to several scandals and was criticised by city residents who opined that the basic character of the city had been changed due to unhindered growth of colonies. Over the years migrants, largely from UP and Bihar milked the Chandigarh Administration dry by cornering prime land and then exerting pressure from political channels to claim rehabilitation sites.

Meanwhile an official press release of the Chandigarh Administration said amendments have been made in the scheme. While the Administration stands committed to its earlier assurance to rehabilitate those who are bonafide residents of labour colonies and whose names figure in the electoral roll as on December 8, 1996 and are found eligible after careful scrutiny for allotment as per the scheme, but in view of the extreme paucity of land for housing, these persons who are found eligible will be rehabilitated in low cost flats in multistoreyed structures constructed at various identified locations in UT Chandigarh including the villages.

Migrants, whose names do not figure in the electoral rolls as on 08.12.96 will not be eligible for rehabilitation in the urban territory, Chandigarh and unauthorised encroachments or constructions made by them would be removed as per provisions of law, the official press release said.

So far under the old scheme, the Administration has rehabilitated a sizeable population of slum dwellers in the city. Following reports that many of these allottees had either sold off these dwelling units or had misused these sites violation of the terms and conditions of allotment, the Administration recently carried out a survey of the Mauli Jagran rehabilitation colony where the Estate Office, Chandigarh Housing Board and Municipal Corporation, Chandigarh, have allotted 971, 3417 and 2565 (bare sites) respectively to the jhuggies dwellers or slum dwellers. A survey of these 6953 sites revealed that about half of the sites had been sold and on about 14 per cent sites there were major building violations. Apart from this, about 13 per cent sites were still lying vacant.

The above report clearly proves that in majority of the cases the original allottees of sites or dwelling units have either sold their houses or made various building violations by using the residential sites for commercial purposes. The survey has clearly demonstrated that the desired results of the rehabilitation scheme have not been achieved. The administration has also taken note of the fact that the absence of any rehabilitation scheme in the neighbouring townships of Mohali and Panchkula, coupled with the liberal rehabilitation scheme of the Administration has led to massive influx of migrants into the city resulting in haphazard unauthorised urban growth. Given the finite character of the territorial boundaries of Chandigarh and the fact that further land availability for housing is extremely limited now, the Administration decided to limit the scope and applicably of the rehabilitation scheme, the official press release of the Administration said tonight.

Panchkula gears up to receive CM
Tribune News Service

PANCHKULA, Jan 4 — Mopping up operations are in full swing in the township in view of the Chief Minister’s visit on January 7 during which he will hold the “Sarkar Aapke Dwar” programme, inaugurate and lay foundation stones of community centres and schools.

The venue for the grievance redressal programme, Yavnika in Sector 5, is the hub of most activity. Hectic activity is on as lawns are being mowed and prepared for the VIP’s visit. White-washing of the few rooms behind the open air theatre is on while a couple of men have been assigned the painting job in the complex. Scrubbing and washing of the stage at the threatre is also being undertaken in a big way.

Wooden steps have been put up on a specially created platform, to be removed after the darbar, to enable the public to climb on the the stage where the CM will be seated. Woodwork in the green rooms is also being redone to give it a new look. An official of the Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) said: “Some of this is routine work but is usually undertaken around the time when the Spring Fest is held, only this time it is a couple of months in advance. The rest is being undertaken as a special case.”

The work of cleaning the road berms which was already on in Sector 6 and 7 has been speeded up and spread to sectors which will be visited by the Chief Minister. An official informed that though work was already in progress, labourers working in some of the sectors have been diverted to sectors which figure on the visitor’s list.

Besides road berms, labourers have been employed to clear the dividers of any overgrowth. Sweepers have been pressed into service for the cleaning of roads and the township. With “operation clean-up’’ underway, the town is already wearing a cleaner look.

Besides the darbar which begins at 10 am, the CM is scheduled to inaugurate a primary school built at the Mansa Devi Complex at a cost of Rs 24.98 lakh and a community centre which has come up at a cost of Rs 20.70 lakh. A dispensary, built at Rs 26.72 lakh, in Sector 20 will also be inaugurated.

Mr Om Prakash Chautala will also lay the foundation of a community centre in Sector 19 which will come up at a cost of Rs 25 lakh and a higher secondary school in Sector 12-A with Rs 87 lakh as its estimated cost. Later in the day, Mr Chautala will lay the foundation stone of a 66KV power sub-station at Raipur Rani.