NEW DELHI, Jan 15: The Army has drawn up a multi- pronged plan to boost its capabilities and a number of projects, including acquiring of night vision devices, upgrading of mechanised forces and augmentation of artillery firepower, are near completion, Army chief General Bikram Singh said today.
He said the Army had also submitted a time-bound plan to the Government to enhance the capabilities of its aviation corps.
“We have made plans. The Government has approved many. Some of them have been completed while others will get approval by the end of the fiscal,” he told an Army Day function here.
Stressing on the importance of superior equipment and firepower for the Army, he said a country is respected only when it is economically and militarily powerful.
“For the country to achieve its rightful place globally, it is must that our Army becomes a capable, effective, responsible and contemporary power and contributes to the progress of the country,” he said.
Gen Singh also made a mention about the approval granted for raising a mountain strike corps to underline the growing capability of the Army and said special attention was being paid to infrastructure development along the borders.
In his 15-minute-long speech, he spoke about the Army’s efforts to deal with issues ranging from suicide to shortage of officers and facilities for its present and former personnel, and said the shortfall of officers will come down to 10 per cent by 2018 from existing 20 per cent.
“Unpleasant incidents” like suicides were down by 50 per cent last year, Gen Singh said, crediting the “good administration” of commanding officers for it.
He said Army units had begun adopting elderly veterans who were lonely and without a shelter and an old age home would come up in Panchkula by this year end and another would be constructed in Lucknow.
Gen Singh also touched upon other welfare measures undertaken by the Army, including increased family pension, cheaper home loans and pension for mentally and physically-challenged children of its personnel.
The Army would continue to push for ‘one rank one pay’, he said, adding there is more equity in pension now. (PTI)

NEW DELHI, Jan 15: Differences in Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) came out in the open today with party MLA Vinod Kumar Binny accusing the Delhi Government of deviating from its principles and poll promises and calling Arvind Kejriwal a “liar”.
Binny, a former Congressman who had publicly displayed his unhappiness after he was left out of the cabinet in December, also threatened to “expose” the party at a press conference tomorrow while slamming it for “failing” to fulfil the promises made to people of Delhi.
Rubbishing the MLA’s criticism, Kejriwal said, “First, he had come to me for ministership, we refused. After that, he wanted to contest the Lok Sabha polls. He came to my house to ask for the ticket. The party has decided that all sitting MLAs would not be given tickets for the Lok Sabha polls.”
Binny immediately denied demanding either ministership or ticket to contest the Lok Sabha polls, saying it was the “biggest lie if he (Kejriwal) has made the statement that I went to him for Lok Sabha ticket. I even never soght the post of Minister.”
Earlier, the MLA said there has been lot of difference between what the party promised and how the Government was working.
“I will divulge all these things in a press conference tomorrow to ensure accountability and transparency in the party,” the Laxmi Nagar MLA told reporters.
Binny said he was not upset over not becoming a Minister and wants to raise the issues in public interest.
“I am not upset over anything. The party is drifting from the main issues. Hence, it is important for us to make them realise that we are in the party for its cause and the issues it raised,” the MLA said.
Kejriwal said there was a meeting on Tuesday of all 70 candidates who contested the Delhi polls but the MLA did not raise a single point in the meeting.
“I do not know what his intentions are and I do not even want to get into it. We are the most sensitive Government towards resolving issues. We welcome criticism, be it the public, media or the BJP,” he said.
The Chief Minister said party leader Yogendra Yadav will handle the issue. (PTI)

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 15: Vacation Judge of High Court, Justice Bansi Lal Bhat today stayed the seniority list of Naib Tehsildars and issued notice to Commissioner Secretary, Revenue Department, Service Selection Board and private respondents.
The stay order was passed in a petition titled Saqib Saleem and Others Versus State. The grievances of the petitioners were that the final seniority list was issued in utter disregard to Rule 24 of J&K Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal Rules).
“The petitioners, who in view of overall merit in the selection process, were entitled to be placed at Serial Nos 151, 134, 122 and 165 respectively but in the impugned seniority list they have been pushed down to Serial Nos 183, 162, 178 and 172 respectively jeopardizing their right”, submitted Advocate S K Shukla appearing for the petitioners.
After hearing counsel for the petitioners, Justice B L Bhat issued notices to Commissioner Secretary Revenue Department, Services Selection Board and private respondents returnable within four weeks. Senior AAG Ravinder Sharma accepted the notice on behalf of official respondents.
“In the meanwhile, respondents shall not act upon the impugned seniority list for purposes of promotion, temporary or permanent till next date before the bench”, Justice Bhat said.