Posts Tagged ‘Pranab Mukherjee’
In a major New year bonanza for the armed forces, the Prime Minister’s Office has informed the Defence Ministry that the armed forces personnel would henceforth have a separate pay commission, which is delinked from the civilian pay panel.
In a communication to the Defence Ministry the PMO also granted the demand for placing 12,000 odd Lieutenant Colonels and equivalents in Navy and Air Force in the pay band four of the sixth central pay commission.However, the PMO, which considered the recommendations of the ministerial committee headed by External Affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee, said that the pay band four status with a grade pay of Rs 8000 would be accorded to Lieutenant Colonels who were performing a combat role or were ready for combat.
Those Lieutenant Colonels on deputation to other services would receive the pay band four status only when they return to their parent service.Another demand accepted by the PMO concerned the jawans, for whom the government would restore the 70 per cent pensionary weightage.Till the government implements the sixth pay commission’s recommendations for allowing retired armed forces personnel’s lateral entry into paramilitary and central police forces, the 70 per cent weightage would continue.
The present PMO communication, sent to the Defence Ministry in the last week of December, however, is silent on the two other core demands of the armed forces: placing the Lieutenant Generals in the higher administrative grade plus pay scales and bringing grade pay of officers from Captains to Brigadiers on par with their civilian counterparts.
But, conceding to the Defence personnel’s demand the PMO said it would set up a high powered committee to review the command and control functions, and the status of the armed forces vis-a-vis that of their civilian and paramilitary counterparts.
Though Defence Ministry assumed that the PMO’s communication is a fiat to the armed forces, the nitty gritty of implementing them would have to be worked out in concert with the services headquarters, officials said.After the Cabinet decided in August to implement the sixth pay commission from September last year, the armed forces had raised the “anomalies” and sought a political decision on it.
At one point, the services headquarters had in an unprecedented move refused to implement the cabinet decision, causing a lot of embarrassment to the government. The services chief had time and again stated that the pay commission “anomalies” were not about money but about status and command and control issues. Consequently, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh intervened and set up the ministerial committee which had Defence Minister AK Antony and Home Minister P Chidambaram as members.The committee had submitted its report to the PM in the middle of December 2008.
Omar Abdullah, all set to be the new chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir cited dialogue and not war as the only option for India and Pakistan and urged the two countries not to let “bitterness” creep into their ties which directly affect the people of the state.
“I want to tell New Delhi and Islamabad from this stage that war is not an option as nothing can be achieved through it,” the 38-year-old National Conference leader said as he returned from Delhi to a tumultuous welcome from party workers and supporters in Srinagar. The guns cannot solve any problem and dialogue is the only way to address all issues between the two countries, Omar, who entered an alliance with the Congress to form the next government in the border state, said.
“If Kashmir is to be resolved and relations between India and Pakistan improved, it will be through dialogue only. I appeal to the two countries not to allow bitterness to creep into their relations,” Omar said, addressing an enthusiastic crowd lining up several kms of the road leading to Srinagar International Airport to greet him.
Omar said India and Pakistan should avoid taking threatening postures as the nature of relations between the two countries had a direct bearing on the people of Jammu and Kashmir. “The relations between India and Pakistan directly affect the people of our state, whether the relations are good or bad,” he said. Omar, who led the National Conference to emerge as the single largest party in the assembly elections, said the new government, which he will be heading, will make efforts to improve the relations between the two neighbouring countries.
Without mentioning the issue of reduction of troops in the state, Omar said soon after being chosen to head the NC-Congress government in the state, he met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Home Minister P Chidambaram and External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee to reduce the “pressure of the gun” on the people of the state.
“I met with Prime Minister, Pranab Mukherjee and P Chidambaram and told them there has been a lot of bloodshed over the past 20 years. (Now), there is need to reduce the pressure of the gun from the people of the state so that they can live a peaceful life,” he added.
Turning his focus to the domestic issues of the state, he said people of the state were not asking too much. “They are not asking for 21st century (amenities) … they are seeking 20th century facilities like good roads, electricity at reasonable rates, drinking water and employment avenues. I promise our efforts will be to deliver on these,” the NC president said. He said people of the state, especially the youth had lots of expectations from him, National Conference, Congress and the new government.
“The youth of the state are expecting more than they have expected from any other CM of the state. I promise them that over the next six years I will work hard, day and night, to solve their problems,” the 38-year-old leader said. Omar thanked the people of the state who came out to vote irrespective of the party they voted for, saying the just-concluded elections were a “historic success”.
Earlier, the NC leader was given a rousing welcome soon after his arrival at the airport as hundreds of people lined up either side of the road from the Srinagar Airport to Sher-e-Kashmir Cricket Stadium Park where Omar addressed the gathering. Dancing and singing, men and women made a beeline to catch a glimpse of the new chief minister of the state.
Slogans like “Naqli shera wattu dera, Asli shera aagaya” reverberated in the air as Omar’s cavalcade entered the stadium premises. The sloganeering by his supporters was so shrill that it interrupted Omar’s speech several times. Women supporters of the party sang traditional Kashmiri ‘Roff’ songs normally sung during weddings to welcome their leader. Omar was wearing more than a dozen garlands over his ‘phiran’, traditional Kashmiri gown, and hundreds of his faithful supporters were waiting to add a few more around his neck.
Anand Sharma Minister of State for External Affairs
In a strong clarification from India, it has informed Pakistan that it has not engaged in any sort of troop build-up along the frontier and sought firm action against terrorist camps and militant groups operating from the Pakistani soil.
In fact, New Delhi has also told Islamabad that it has no plans for a military action, but wanted a combination of “executive action and judicial processes” against terrorist elements like the Lashker-e-Toiba (LeT) and its front organisation Jamaat-ud-Dawah (juD), which have been linked to the Mumbai attacks.
The message was conveyed during Indian High Commissioner Satyabrata Pal’s meeting with Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir yesterday (December 26).
Indian Deputy High Commissioner Manpreet Vohra was also present in this meeting. The clarification comes as the Pakistani side has said any surgical strike by India in response to the Mumbai terror attacks would be seen as an “act of war”.
Anand Sharma, Minister of State for External Affairs, speaking on the conflict said, “The war mongering by Pakistan is unwarranted and irresponsible. Instead of indulging in this and creating tension in the sub-continent it would be in the interest of the region and in Pakistan’s own interest to take action against the two organisations LeT and JuD, and also not to give the named terrorist the luxury of house arrest, but to take appropriate action.”
External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee speaking ealier, said that India was closely watching the developments across the border, and asked Pakistan to tone down the war rhetoric and act against those responsible for the Mumbai terror attacks. Pranab once again asked Pakistan not to divert attention from the main issue of terror.
Pranab’s stern warning to Pakistan came on a day when the capital saw several high-level meetings. First the service chiefs met the Prime Minister at South Block to brief the PM on the current security situation.Soon after, the Cabinet Committee on security met with Defence Minister AK Antony and NSA MK Narayan in attendance.
Following the meetings, the External Affairs Minister said there was no cause for alarm following the build up across the border.These meetings come amidst rising tension at the border with the defence forces reporting unusual activity on the other side of the fence, and in the wake of Pakistan putting its warplanes in forward deployment mode.
The defence forces have been stating that they are in a state of preparedness in the event of an attack.India’s scathing comments came as Pakistan continued its defiance and flexed its muscle across the border. Further, the Pakistani army has cancelled leave for most troops and has even pulled out forces deployed at the Afghanistan border and rushed them to the Indian side.
Pakistani media claims Pakistan Army’s 10th and 11th Divisions have also been put on high alert and troops moved to forward posts on the border facing Rajouri and Poonch sectors in Kashmir. Also, reports coming in said Armoured Brigades from Lahore are heading towards Jhelum.
Defence analysts said troops withdrawal from FATA and NWFP are likely in case of escalation of tension on eastern border.
According to sources, the Pakistani naval forces have been placed on defencive alert since the November 28th.
A number of warplanes and submarines are being kept ready for operations. Pakistan has also kept its warships ready. Currently, Pakistan has three new Agosta class submarines. Of the older submarines, sources say atleast two have been readied for operations. Pakistan has around 9 Orion Recce planes, capable of carrying missiles.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh with Iranian President Ahmednijad
As part of stepped-up diplomatic offensive to get Pakistan to act against perpetraors of Mumbai
terror attacks, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh last night (December 27) spoke to Iranian President Ahmednijad and is understood to have asked him to pressure Islamabad to do more to end cross-border terrorism.
Singh conveyed to Ahmednijad that Pakistan has to take concrete action to stop cross-border terror and by being in denial mode would not help.The Prime Minister is understood to have told the Iranian leader that India has so far exercised restraint and asked him to presssure Pakistan to take concrete action against handlers of those who carried out the Mumbai terror attacks last month.
The telephonic conversation between Singh and Ahmednijad came a day after External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee to his Iranian counterpart Manounchehr Mottaki on the issue.
Mukherjee had also spoken to his counterparts from the US, China and Saudi Arabia over phone and told them that India has “ample evidence” about involvement of Pakistan-based elements in the Mumbai strikes and that they should to put pressure on Islamabad to act against them.
During these conversations, Mukherjee emphasised that the Mumbai attacks should not be seen in the context of Indo-Pak relations but as part of global terrorism and the international community should join India in fighting this.
India has slammed Pakistan for its war rhetoric, demanding categorically that it stop creating a war like hysteria.External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said India was closely watching the developments across the border, and asked Pakistan to tone down the war rhetoric and act against those responsible for the Mumbai terror attacks. Pranab once again asked Pakistan not to divert attention from the main issue of terror.
Pranab’s stern warning to Pakistan came on a day when the capital saw several high-level meetings. First the service chiefs met the Prime Minister at South Block to brief the PM on the current security situation.Soon after, the Cabinet Committee on security met with Defence Minister AK Antony and NSA MK Narayan in attendance.
Following the meetings, the External Affairs Minister said there was no cause for alarm following the build up across the border.These meetings come amidst rising tension at the border with the defence forces reporting unusual activity on the other side of the fence, and in the wake of Pakistan putting its warplanes in forward deployment mode.
The defence forces have been stating that they are in a state of preparedness in the event of an attack.India’s scathing comments came as Pakistan continued its defiance and flexed its muscle across the border. Further, the Pakistani army has cancelled leave for most troops and has even pulled out forces deployed at the Afghanistan border and rushed them to the Indian side.
Pakistani media claims Pakistan Army’s 10th and 11th Divisions have also been put on high alert and troops moved to forward posts on the border facing Rajouri and Poonch sectors in Kashmir. Also, reports coming in said Armoured Brigades from Lahore are heading towards Jhelum.
Defence analysts said troops withdrawal from FATA and NWFP are likely in case of escalation of tension on eastern border.According to sources, the Pakistani naval forces have been placed on defencive alert since the November 28th.
A number of warplanes and submarines are being kept ready for operations. Pakistan has also kept its warships ready. Currently, Pakistan has three new Agosta class submarines. Of the older submarines, sources say atleast two have been readied for operations. Pakistan has around 9 Orion Recce planes, capable of carrying missiles.
India does not want war, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said Pakistan should dismantle the “terror machine” and asked the international community to use its “power” to persuade Islamabad to do so.
“The issue is not war. Nobody wants war,” Singh told Parliament when asked to comment on the present stand-off with Pakistan over the Mumbai terror attacks. He said India wanted Pakistan to make “objective efforts to dismantle terror machine” and added that Islamabad “knows what it implies.”
Referring to “many” UN resolutions prohibiting member countries from allowing terrorism to emanate from their territories, Singh said Pakistan should “comply with those resolutions”. At the same time, he said “the international community should use its power to persuade Pakistan.
In separate comments, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee asked Pakistan to desist from creating a “war hysteria” and act against those responsible for the deadly strikes in Mumbai. “My request to friends in Pakistan is to address the issue that is terrorism and not raise war hysteria,” Mukherjee said.
Maintaining that the issue to be addressed by Pakistan is the “sinister attack in Mumbai”, he said “India has requested action against people in Pakistan. We request Pakistan to act on our request.” The comments by the Prime Minister and Mukherjee assume significance as these come a day after Pakistan Air Force conducted air maneouvres, apparently to prepare for a conflict.
India feels that Pakistan is resorting to such tactics to divert attention from Mumbai attacks over which it is facing mounting international pressure. Mukherjee said Pakistan must honour the commitments given by its two Presidents — Pervez Musharraf in January 2004 and Asif Ali Zardari in September 2008 — not to allow the territories under its control to be used for terrorism.
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