19042022-TTC-01.qxd 19-04-2022 00:49 Page 1 13 CHANDIGARH | GURUGRAM | JALANDHAR | BATHINDA | VOL. 6 NO.107 | 12 PAGES | ~5.00 | REGD. NO. CHD/0006/2021-2023 ESTABLISHED IN 1881 NEW 17-MEMBER CABINET APPOINTED IN LANKA WORLD /thetribunechd UT’S DEBT BURDEN GROWS TO ~83,536 CR: CAG REPORT J&K SENSEX TUMBLES OVER INDIA HAS TRADITION OF 1,100 POINTS AFTER DEBATE, DIALOGUE: HEAVY SELLING BUSINESS PREZ AT IIC BACK PAGE tuesday | 19 april 2022 /thetribunechd www.tribuneindia.com Lt Gen Pande next Army Chief, first from Corps of Engineers Tribune News Service NewDelhi, April 18 Lt Gen Manoj C Pande has been appointed the next Chief of the Army. He will take over on April 30, the day General MM Naravane superannuates. Currently the Vice Chief of the Army, Lt General Pande has commanded the Eastern Command and served as Commander-in-Chief of the Andaman & Nicobar Command. A decision to appoint the next Chief of Defence Staff has not been announced yet. The post of CDS has been vacant since General Bipin Rawat died in a helicopter crash on December 8. Lt General Pande will be the first officer from the Corps of Engineers to be Chief of the Indian Army. The Corps was raised in 1777 by the British. Before Lt General Pande, the only officer from the Engineers who came close to heading the Army was Lt Gen PS Bhagat, who was recommended by then Army Chief General SHFJ Manekshaw. Howev- TO TAKE OVER AS 29TH COAS ON APRIL 30 ■ Lt Gen Pande, who is currently serving as Vice Chief, will be first Chief of Army Staff from Corps of Engineers ■ He has commanded Eastern Command and also served as Commander-in-Chief of Andaman and Nicobar Command, which is India’s only triservices command ■ An NDA alumnus, he was commissioned in Corps of Engineers in December 1982 ■ He has been conferred Param Vishisht Seva Medal, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal er, the Indira Gandhi-led government gave an extension to General Manekshaw for the 1971 war victory against Pakistan. Later, his successor General GG Bewoor was also given a year’s extension while he was the Chief. Lt General Bhagat was made head of the Damodar Valley Corporation. Incidentally, Lt General Bhagat was part of the two-member Henderson Brooks report on the 1962 war debacle. Born on May 6, 1962, Lt General Pande was commissioned into the Bombay Sappers, a regiment of the Corps of Engineers, in December 1982. He will retire on May 31, 2024. The Chiefs of the three services retire at 62 years of age. He has held several prestigious command and staff assignments in conventional as well as counter-insurgency continued on page 9 EMIs set to increase, SBI lending rates up Mann orders probe into debt, says will make ‘recoveries’ Tribune News Service Chandigarh, April 18 A month after the AAP government took over the reins in Punjab, CM Bhagwant Mann has ordered an inquiry into the reasons behind the debt of Rs 3 lakh crore on the state. He accused the previous governments of pushing the New Delhi, April 18 The equated monthly instalments (EMIs) are set to go up as the country’s largest bank, SBI, has hiked its marginal cost of lending rate (MCLR) by 10 basis points (bps) across all loan tenors with effect from April 15. The wholesale price-based inflation (WPI) spiked to a four-month high of 14.55% in March on rising prices of crude oil and other commodities due to disruption in global supply chain in the wake of the Russia-Ukraine war, a development that may prompt the Reserve Bank of India to raise interest rates to contain price rise. WPI inflation has been in double digits for 12 consecutive months now. The rise in WPI-based inflation comes 40% posts in HP Horticulture Dept vacant Subhash Rajta Tribune News Service Shimla, April 18 Despite horticulture being a key contributor to the state’s economy and lakhs of families depending on it for livelihood, the Horticulture Department in Himachal Pradesh is running extremely short of manpower. 920 OF 2,432 POSTS UNFILLED The department is roughly 40 per cent short of the sanctioned staff. Of 2,432, only 1,512 posts are filled. As many as 920 posts are lying vacant. “We have apprised the government of the staff crisis. Steps will be taken soon to address the issue,” said Director, Horticulture, RK Pruthi. Amid deficit of 40 per cent, the shortage of over 60 per cent Horticulture Development Officers is of utmost concern. Of the sanctioned strength of 264, 152 posts are vacant. In view of the massive shortage of the field staff, the Director, Horticulture, said efforts were being made to ensure delivery of service to all areas. INSIDE Wholesale inflation rises to 14.55% in March OTHER BANKS LIKELY TO FOLLOW SUIT The SBI’s hike in interest rates comes despite the RBI keeping key policy interest rates unchanged in its latest policy review earlier this month. Other public sector and private banks are likely to follow suit. after data released on April 12 showed Consumer Price Index (CPI) based inflation jumping to a 17-month high of 6.95% in March. The rise in WPI inflation was driven by an increase in prices across the board, although non-food items led the charge. The food index continued on page 9 PUNJAB UNDER ~3 LAKH CR DEBT state into debt, and said the AAP government would probe where the money was spent and make recoveries. “Previous governments have left a debt of Rs 3 lakh crore on Punjab. But where has that money been used? We will investigate and make recovery, because it was public money,” the Chief Minister said. In the run-up to Assembly polls, AAP leaders had targeted previous regimes for allegedly pushing Punjab into a debt trap. INSIDE IN BRIEF Bodies of boy, girl found hanging in Ferozepur FEROZEPUR: The bodies of a boy and a girl were found hanging from a tree near a canal in a village here on Monday, with the police suspecting it to be a case of honour killing. INSIDE 5 killed as car hit by bus falls into Bhakra canal ROPAR: Five persons died while two were feared washed away after the car they were in fell into the Bhakra canal near Ahmedpur village here after being hit from behind by a bus on Monday. INSIDE Jaish commander Nengroo designated ‘terrorist’ NEW DELHI: Jaish-e-Mohammad commander Ashiq Ahmed Nen- groo was designated as a terrorist by the Centre on Monday for his involvement in various terror incidents in J&K. INSIDE Bail cancelled, Ashish told to surrender SC Bench: Victims have unbridled participatory rights in legal proceedings Tribune News Service Bench said, “The High Court ‘HIGH COURT LOST SIGHT OF PRINCIPLES’ shall decide the bail applicaUP VIOLENCE tion afresh expeditiously, New Delhi, April 18 The Supreme Court on Monday cancelled the bail given to the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case prime accused Ashish Mishra by the Allahabad High Court, saying the victims were denied a fair and effective hearing at the time of granting bail to him. A Bench led by CJI NV Ramana directed him to surrender within a week. The High Court considered irrelevant factors and showed unwarranted hurry in granting him bail, it noted. The Bench, which also included Justice Surya Kant and Justice Hima Kohli, said the High Court was wrong in treating the FIR as gospel ❝ HC showed tearing hurry, considered irrelevant factors to release him Court erred in not allowing complainant an opportunity to oppose bail petition — CJI-led Bench Accused Ashish Mishra. FILE truth while granting bail to the accused, son of Union Minister Ajay Mishra Teni. It said the High Court erred in not giving an opportunity to the complainant to oppose Ashish’s bail plea. However, the top court asked the Allahabad High Court, which had given bail to Ashish on February 10, to examine his bail plea afresh “in a fair, impartial and dispassionate manner, and keeping in view the settled parameters”. Leaving all questions of law open for the High Court to consider and decide, the and preferably within three months… after giving adequate opportunity of hearing to the victims as well.” It said if the victims were unable to engage the services of a private counsel, it shall be obligatory upon the High Court to provide them a counsel with adequate experience in criminal law at the state’s expense. Four farmers were mowed down by an SUV in Lakhimpur Kheri when those against farm laws were holding a demonstration against then Uttar Pradesh Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya’s visit continued on page 9 edit: sc intervenes again 25 from two communities held for riots RPFheadconstable shotin Pulwama Tribune News Service Srinagar, April 18 A Railway Protection Force head constable was killed and another security man injured in a militant attack in south Kashmir on Monday. The attack took place in Kakapora area of Pulwama when the duo were having tea outside the railway station. “One of them died on the spot while the other was shifted to a hospital in a critical condition,” a police official said. The slain head constable has been identified as Surinder Singh, who received multiple gunshot wounds. Injured Dev Raj has been taken to the SMHS Hospital in Srinagar where his condition was stated to be critical, officials said, adding the area had been cordoned off. — OC FIR against VHP, Bajrang Dal over unauthorised procession New Delhi, April 18 Refuting allegations of onesided probe, Delhi Police Commissioner Rakesh Asthana today said 25 persons from two communities had been arrested so far for their alleged involvement in the Jahangirpuri communal clashes on Saturday. Two juveniles have also been detained. The police said they had registered an FIR against members of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal as well for taking out a religious procession without permission on Saturday evening. Prem Sharma, VHP’s district sewa pramukh, had been arrested, they said. Asserting that none of NADDA TO OPPOSITION: WHY MUM ON KARAULI? ❝ I want to ask political parties since they talk about vote bank politics, why have they forgotten the shameful happenings in Karauli, Rajasthan. JP Nadda, A forensic team in New Delhi’s Jahangirpuri. MANAS RANJAN BHUI those involved would be spared, Asthana said 14 probe teams had been constituted. Four forensic teams visited the crime scenes Bus hits school students, one dead, 3 hospitalised Tribune News Service Sangrur, April 18 A girl student of a government school was killed and three others were critically injured after being hit by a PRTC bus at Mehla Chowk here today. The deceased was identified as Amandeep Kaur (12), while those injured were Damanpreet Kaur, Baljinder Kaur and Gurvir Kaur. The injured were taken to the Sangrur Civil Hospital for treatment, from where Damanpreet Kaur was referred to a Patiala hospital. Some relatives of the injured maintained that the girls were standing on roadside, while others said they were crossing the road when the accident occurred. “All injured have suffered The bus that hit students in Sangrur multiple injuries, but Damanpreet’s condition is serious. We have referred her to Patiala,” said Dr Baljit Singh, Senior Medical Officer at the Sangrur hospital. A case has been registered against bus driver Kulwinder Singh under Sections 304-A, 279, 337 and 338 of the IPC and he has been arrested. Sangrur DC Jitendra Jorwal continued on page 9 Space crunch, classes held thrice a week Ravinder Saini Tribune News Service Students take exams sitting on the floor at Government Model Sanskriti Senior Secondary School in Rohtak’s Kalanaur town. TRIBUNE PHOTO Completely lost sight of the principles... Was wrong in treating FIR as gospel truth Adopted a myopic view of evidence... victims denied fair, effective hearing Rohtak, April 18 Students of Government Girls Senior Secondary School in Kalanaur town have been attending classes for just three days in a week since April 11 as there is not enough space to accommodate them in the local Government Model Sanskriti Senior Secondary School, where they have been attending classes for the past two and a half years. Earlier the students were being accommodated in POOR INFRA TO BLAME ■ Government Girls Senior Sec- ondary School in Kalanaur was declared unsafe in 2019 ■ Since then, its students are being accommodated in another school in the town morning and evening shifts but due to board exams of classes X and XII from 12.30 pm to 3 pm, the classes had to be curtailed. The board exams will end on April 27. The building of girls’ school continued on page 9 today and collected samples while footage from CCTVs and digital media was being scanned, he said. Addressing the media, the BJP CHIEF Delhi Police chief denied claims that attempts were made to hoist saffron flags at a mosque in the violence-hit continued on page 9