The committee set up to review the working of Military Engineering Service (MES) Organisation has submitted its report. The chairman of the committee Mr VS Jafa, former Secretary to the Government of India submitted the report to Defence Minister, Mr George Fernandes. The committee has recommended a new works procedure to enhance the capability to cater to the needs of different user departments and overcome the problem of time and cost over-run. The report further recommends to upgrade the maintenance services. It has also recommended for restructuring of the MES organisation and suggested for greater effectiveness and for improved synergy with the user departments.

The MES is the largest and oldest engineering organisation in the country having over 400 offices. It provides engineering support to defence services for construction and maintenance of buildings, roads, airfields. Present-day user requirements involve more demanding engineering skills in construction and maintenance.

The Coast Guard commissioned the 747 Squadron consisting of two Dornier aircraft based at the Naval Air Station Garuda, Kochi. Vice Admiral OP Bansal, Director General Coast Guard activated the squadron formally by unveiling a plaque. The squadron has been housed in the premises of 321 Squadron of INS Garuda. With the presence of these aircraft, aerial surveillance and search and rescue of the sea areas around Kerala and the Lakshadweep islands will be more effective. The squadron will be under the operational control of the
Coast Guard District Headquarters 4, Kochi.

The Major General General Service (Training) at Headquarters Army Training Command, Shimla, Maj Gen CS Chima unveiled a Statue of Justice at the Institute of Military Law (IML) Kamptee. He was on a three-day visit to the institute.

Speaking on the occasion, Maj Gen Chima said that the statue of a blindfolded lady, holding a scale in one hand and a book in the other, would constantly remind one of his commitment to fairness and impartiality in administration of justice in the Army. He also emphasised that dispensation of justice in the Army is of paramount importance and called on all personnel to keep the stream of justice serene, undefiled and unpolluted.

Maj Gen Chima who is responsible for supervising the training standards of the Army, was welcomed by the Commandant, IML, Col JK Deosthale and briefed about the training activities of the institute. The Major General later, inspected the various training facilities at IML.

Lithotriptor Centre has become functional at the Western Command Hospital at Chandimandir. The centre will provide a complete range of treatment for ureteric stone of serving soldiers, ex-servicemen and their dependants under one roof.

An extra-corporeal shock wave lithotriptor (ESWL) machine was inaugurated by Maj Gen Pratap Dayal, Commandant of the hospital. This equipment fragments kidney and ureteric stones effectively by emitting shock wave. It can also be used to treat biliary and pancreatic stones, shoulder stiffness, planter and heel spur without any surgical intervention. This centre is the first of its kind in Armed Forces in north India.

Command Hospital, Chandimandir is a premier hospital of Armed Forces in the Western Sector and is providing urological service to all personnel, ex-servicemen and their families located in Punjab, Haryana, parts of Jammu and Himachal Pradesh. It is a tertiary care centre for urological patients from other hospitals located under Western Command and part of Northern Command.

A three-day specialized training course in pensionary benefits was conducted at the Ordnance Factories Staff College (OFSC), Ambajhari.

Inaugurating the course, Joint Controller of Finance and Accounts at Ordnance Factory Ambajhari, Mrs Sanhita Kar urged the trainee officers to ensure timely settlement of pension claims while posted at various ordnance factories. She also commended the timely finalisation of pension cases relating to defence civilians by the office of the Principal Controller of Defence Accounts (Pensions).

In his presidential address, the Principal Director OFSC, Mr AO Abraham stressed the need for a sensitive, responsive and caring attitude towards the pensioners and their problems. He thanked PCDA (Pensions) Allahabad for providing expert faculty members to conduct the course.

To make Army families computer savvy, a full fledged computer training wing with six computers of Pentium III model was set up at the Family Welfare Centre, Sagour. It was inaugurated by Mrs Ramola Massey, President, Regional AWWA. The aim is to impart basic training to the families, in particular the girl child of JCOs/ORs and the inmates of the War Widows Boys Hostel. A full-time instructor has been employed to impart the requisite training. The whole project is the brain-child
of AWWA, 8 Mahar Regimental Centre.

Army’s persistent and vigorous efforts have finally helped in mitigating the hardships of farmers of border areas by getting compensation for their crops, which the farmers could not harvest due to laying of mines and construction of defence works.

The Ministry of Defence has released compensation money for the farmers whose land has come under land-mines. A sum of Rs 18 crore has been released to the Deputy Commissioners of Amritsar and Gurdaspur through the Defence Estate Office.

The Army authorities alongwith the Defence Estates Offices and civil administration physically verified the land which came under land-mines. The Army provided assistance to the civil administration to finalise all records for disbursement of compensation. The necessary amount has been paid to the farmers well in time alongwith the harvesting of crops. Twentyfive per cent of the disbursement has taken place and the balance amount is being paid.

Payment of compensation amount commenced in Gurdaspur district. The payment is being made through cheques to the "Kasthkars" (tillers) by the local administration in the presence of representatives from the Army. A total of 216 cheques have been disbursed to the farmers of Dera Baba Nanak area so far.

At a solemn ceremony, Lt Gen GS Sihota, GOC-in-C marked the raising of 41 Artillery Division by presenting Maj Gen RS Jambusarwalla, MG, Artillery, Southern Command a trophy. With the raising of the Artillery Division, a long-felt need of synergised fire-power for Southern Command has been fulfilled.

A seminar on ‘Acute Coronary Syndrome’ was held at Military Hospital, Jalandhar. About 80 Army doctors and 50 civilian physicians from Jalandhar attended the seminar.

Brig AK Bakshi, DDMS, Vajra Corps inaugurated the seminar. In his inaugural speech, he expressed concern over the increase in the incidence of coronary artery disease and heart attack in India. He attributed the alarming rise in the number of heart attacks to modern life style.

Dr Vijay Mahajan, Dr CS Pruthi and Brig JS Saini (Retd) conducted a panel discussion on acute coronary syndrome. There was an interesting multimedia medical
quiz on various cardiac problems. The seminar proved very beneficial to the Armed Forces and civilian doctors.

A cancer detection and awareness camp was jointly organised by Air Force Wives Welfare Association (local) of 3 Base Repair Depot and the Government Medical College and Hospital at Family Wing of the Station Medicare Centre of the Depot in Chandigarh.

President AFWWA (local), Mrs Santosh Prasher inaugurated the camp and went around the photo exhibition put up on the occasion. The Air Officer Commanding, 3 BRD, Air Cmde SB Prasher also visited the camp.

There was an overwhelming response to the camp and as many as 250 ladies from Air Force Campus in Sector 28, 31 and 47 came for check-up.

The medical team comprising doctors of the local Government Medical College and Hospital was led by Dr Subhash Singh. Senior Medical Officer of the Depot, Wg Cdr AK Anand organised the camp with the assistance of Wg Cdr AJ Singh and Sqn Ldr SK Sinha.

The three-day Army Station Garden Competition and Flower Show-2002 was held at Shillong. The show was also a competition between major and minor units, institutes, bungalows, officers’ messes and appointment houses.

Assam Regimental Centre, Shillong emerged as the over all winner among the major units while 58 Gorkha Training Centre was declared runners-up. The trophy for the best appointment house was bagged by the Flag Staff House while HQ Recruiting Zone, Shillong bagged the trophy for the best minor unit. In the major unit competition, 58 GTC bagged the first prize and FCSR the second prize. The first prize for independent bungalows was received by Col Ranbir Singh while the first prize for ground floor house and first floor house went to Lt Col RS Saimbi and Mrs PP Gogoi respectively. The first prize in potted plants category went to HQ 101 Area. The first prize for flower arrangement in officers category went to Col RS Saimbi of HQ Recruiting Zone and Mrs MD Gupta bagged the first prize for fresh flower arrangement in ladies category.

Maj Gen IJS Bora, GOC 101 Area gave away trophy to the winning unit while Mrs M Bora distributed prizes to other winners.

Troops of the Red Horns Division stationed at Biswanath Chariali completed the water supply scheme to eradicate acute water shortage at Samukjuli, a remote and rural area in Sonitpur district. This project, conceived under operation Samaritan, will provide water to over 500 houses located near and around Samukjuli.

The project was inaugurated by Brig JS Mann, Commander Chindits Brigade on behalf of the Red Horns Division. At the inaugural ceremony, a variety entertainment programme was presented in which Bodo, Assamese, Karbi and Adivasi dances were performed. The villagers thanked the Red Horns Division for solving water shortage problem.

A Health Exhibition was organised at Air Force Station, Udhampur. Gp Capt AK Sachdev, Station Commander, inaugurated the exhibition.

The theme of the exhibition was ‘Move for Health’ and its aim was to increase health awareness among the rank and file of the Air Force. Health education was imparted to people on wide ranging subjects including mental health, obesity, physical exercise, early cancer detection, immunisation and first aid. Various models, charts, posters were displayed and explained to the viewers in detail. Documentaries were also screened to demonstrate practical first aid measures and common health problems.

Air Vice Marshal SK Banerjee, Senior Officer incharge Administration and Chairman of Official Language Implementation Committee (OLIC) South Western Air Command, (SWAC), Gandhinagar, released the tenth issue of Hindi magazine Abhivyakti in the quarterly meeting of OLIC.

While releasing Abhivyakti AVM SK Banerjee congratulated the editorial board and all those who contributed to bring out the issue. He also said that the publication of such magazine would exhibit the hidden talent of IAF personnel.

input: Sqn Ldr CSA Gupta

About 500 students of Kendriya Vidyalaya, Island Grounds, Chennai participated in a road run on the occasion of World Health Day. Organised by the medical branch of HQs ATNKK & G Area, the run was flagged off by Maj Gen AS Jamwal, General Officer Commanding, ATNKK & G Area.

The students passed through Swamy Sivananda Salai, Kamarajar Salai and Flag Staff Road. They covered a distance of 3.8 km in less then half an hour to reach back the starting point. The GOC presented the boys and girls who occupied first six positions in the run with prizes. Brig SR Kamtikar, Deputy Director of Medical Services in the Area Headquarters said that the ‘run’ was organised to inculcate the habit of exercising in children.

SWAC inter area athletics meet was organised by the Air Force Station Jodhpur. Teams from Jodhpur, Pune, Jamnagar, Kutch and Baroda areas participated with vigour and enthusiasm. Air Officer Commanding Jodhpur Air Force Station, Air Cmde CS Gill inaugurated the meet after a colourful march past.

With the aim of selecting the SWAC athletic team for the forthcoming Air Force Sports Championship, this three-day meet witnessed sports events in 16 categories including 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, 1500m, 4x100m relay
runs, long jump, high jump, triple jump, javelin throw, hammer throw, short put and 20 km walk.

Host team Jodhpur came out with flying colours, winning almost every event and took away the overall trophy. Sqn Ldr SK Sharma stood first in the 100m run with a record timing of 11.7 sec on an uneven track in the extremely hot climatic condition of Jodhpur. Cpl Vadolkar of Jodhpur Area was declared the best athlete of the sports meet as he bagged the first prizes in all the long distance races.

In a colourful closing ceremony organised to mark the end of the meet, Air Cmde CS Gill gave away the prizes to the individual winners and the team trophy.

Commissioned in the technical branch of IAF in 1963, Air Marshal Nigam is a specialist in the field of electronic
welfare. He has wide experience on aircraft, radar, guided weapons, communication and computers and is regarded as one of the pioneers in the introduction of electronic warfare and information technology in the IAF.

Air Marshal Nigam is a post graduate in electronics from Agra University and in aviation electronics from Cranfield Institute of Technology, UK. He is also an alumnus of National Defence College, New Delhi

For rendering services of an exceptional order, the Air Marshal has been decorated with Ati Vishisht Seva Medal and Vishishst Seva Medal.

Brig Panicker was commissioned in the Garhwal Rifles in September 1970. A graduate of the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington and Higher Command Course from College of Combat, Mhow, he held various prestigious staff and command appointments during his 32 years of meritorious service. His important appointments include command of a battalion of Garhwal Rifles along the Line of Control in J&K Sector, Director at Army HQ in Prospective Planning Directorate and Military Attache to Deputy Chief of Army Staff.

Prior to taking over present appointment, Brig Panicker was commanding a Mountain Brigade in Arunachal Sector. He planned and participated in several adventure activities and expeditions. For his distinguished services, he was awarded the Chief of Army Staff Commendation.

On his arrival at SAC, Air Marshal TM Asthana was given a ceremonial guard of honour by IAF personnel. Air Vice Marshal RD Limaye, Air Cmdes PK Kuruvila, R Khurana and SM Pendhedkar and other senior officers were present on the occasion.

Air Marshal Asthana is a fighter pilot and has over 3000 hours of flying to his credit on fighter aircraft. He commanded a fighter squadron in the eastern sector and also commanded two premier air bases in the western sector. He has been an instructor at the prestigious fighter training establishment - Tactics and Combat Development Establishment.

The Air Marshal is an alumnus of the Royal College of Defence Studies. Before taking over the present assignment, he was the Deputy Chief of Air Staff at Air Headquarters.