INS Airavat, An indigenously built Landing Ship Tank Commissioned

INS Airavat, the fifth indigenously built Landing Ship Tank (Large) of the Indian Navy was commissioned by Admiral Sureesh Mehta, Chief of the Naval Staff at the Naval Base here today, 19 May 09, at a colourful ceremony. On arrival at the Naval Jetty the Chief Guest was received by Vice Admiral Nirmal Verma, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command. The Chief of Naval Staff was presented a Fifty-man Guard and introduced to the Ships Officers thereafter. Following the inaugural and keynote addresses delivered by Rear Admiral K C Sekhar (Retd), Chairman and Managing Director, M/s Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) Limited, and Vice Admiral Nirmal Verma respectively, Commander Manish Sharma, Commanding Officer INS Airavat, read out the Commissioning Warrant. Hoisting of the Naval Ensign onboard for the first time and Breaking of the Commissioning Pennant with the National Anthem being played marked the formal Commissioning Ceremony. Addressing the media personnel onboard Airavat, Chief of the Naval Staff congratulated the GRSE and other Indian PSUs like Bharat Electronics Medak, HAL, Keltron and private sector companies like Larsen and Toubro, Kirloskar, Godrej, and a host of small scale industries and sub-contractors who have contributed in building a fine ship. He said the ship would augment the operational capabilities and reach of the Eastern Naval Command, in addition to enhancing the amphibious and disaster relief potential of the Eastern Fleet. Induction of INS Airavat adds thrust to the Indian Navys ongoing drive for indigenous warship production. The ship measures 125 meters in length, 17.5 meters in breadth and displaces 5655 tons. Third of the Shardul Class of ships, INS Airavat is the most contemporary and fully indigenized LST (L) in the Indian Navy. In addition to its primary role of Amphibious Operations carrying Battle Tanks, troops and vehicles to hostile coasts, the ship also forms a potent assault platform with Rockets and Chaff launchers, Anti-aircraft guns, shoulder launched Surface to Air Missiles and an integral Sea King or an Advanced Light Helicopter. On the other end of the spectrum, the ship can also be tasked as a Fleet Tanker, for HADR (Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief) missions or as a Hospital Ship. The improved aesthetics onboard Airavat, with the latest designs and marine grade material, vindicate the Navy's desire to provide better habitability to her men. Other Distinguished Guests on the Occasion included Vice Admiral Ganesh Mahadevan, Controller of Warship Production and Acquisition, in addition to Flag Officers and Senior Officers, both serving and retired and the families of the Ships crew who were embarked the Ship on completion of the Ceremony for a brief sea sortie along with the attendant media personnel.

http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=48778

No Full Pension for the Pre 01 Sep 2008 retirees?

With the issue of the Office memorandum dated 12.05.09, Government ruled out full pension for those who retired after 1.1.2006 but before 2.9.2008, even if they had completed 20 years of service. As per this latest clarification (OM dated 12.05.09), Government servants who retired before 2.9.08 with qualifying service of 33 years will continue to be proportionate to the full pension based on their actual qualifying service.
As per the said clarification OM dated 12.05.09, the basis for taking this decision is the Government took a policy decision to implement the the provision for full pension after 20 years of service with effect from 2.9.08.
It was also clarified by the Government that in light of various decisions of Apex Court allowing the employer to fix a cut-off date for introducing any new pension/retirement scheme, the decision of Government is in accordance with the law and there is no violation of Article 14 of the Constitution. Download the GOI momorandum.
http://gconnect.in/6cpc_orders/pension/pension_20_after_1-1-06-2.pdf

LTTE chief Prabhakaran dead

LTTE Supremo Velupillai Prabhakaran, who led a ruthless movement for a Tamil Eelam in Sri Lanka that decimated a score of Sinhalese and Tamil leaders and former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, was today killed by the army bringing curtains on the 30-year-old war that has claimed over 70,000 lives.Prabhakaran, 54, was shot dead by Sri Lankan special forces as he tried to stage a dramatic breakout from the army encirclement, a military spokesman said.The news of Prabhakaran's death also came along with reports of bodies of his son Charles Anthony and three other top leaders -- Pottu Amman, Soosai and Nadesan being found.Prabhakaran and his top aides were driving in an armour-plated van accompanied by a clutch of rebels in a bus and approaching the Special Forces. A two-hour exchange of fire followed and the forces fired a rocket at the van brining an end to the battle, army sources said.Prabhakaran's body was pulled out from the van and identified, they said. Prime Minister Ratnasri Wickramanayake said the army says they have killed him."The next step would be the development in the north (Tamil areas)," he said.Celebrations broke out in the capital here as news spread of the death of Prabhakaran, who led the longest armed struggle in South Asia for nothing less than a separate homeland for Tamils.
http://www.ptinews.com/pti%5Cptisite.nsf/0/0DBAD6374F277BB4652575BA00454279?OpenDocument

CASES TAKEN UP WITH SECY EX SERVICEMAN WELFARE

THE RETIRED DEFENCE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION HAS THE FOLLOWING CASES TAKEN UP WITH SECY EX SERVICEMAN WELFARE

1. Anomaly 6 CPC: Disability Pension Pre and Post 2006.

2. Non Payment of 40% arrears by SBI to the pensioners.

3. Non issue of notification for PB4 for Lt Cols retirees consequent to issue of amendment to SAI by MOD placing all Lt Cols in PB4( 37400-67000)

For full details click this link http://rdoaindia.googlepages.com/LATESTUPDATE.doc

India to airlift another Rs. 3 crore medical aid to war ravaged Sri Lanka

India is to provide another Rupees three crores medical aid to Sri Lanka soon. An Indian Air Force IL-76 aircraft carrying about 25 tons of medicines is scheduled to leave Delhi for Colombo on Friday, May 22. This will be disbursed to the sick and wounded Internally Displaced People (IDP) in northern Sri Lanka. The Indian Armed Forces have set up a fully equipped 50-bedded hospital close to an IDP Camp at Pulmodai, a town on Sri Lanka’s northeast coast. The 60-member medical team comprising specialists, surgeons and paediatricians have treated over 3,000 people, mainly war wounded, trauma and fractures, in the past two months since the hospital came up. The Sri Lankan government has lauded the humanitarian work done by the team of doctors from the Indian armed forces in mitigating the sufferings of the civilian Tamil population in the war-ravaged island nation. Acting on a request from the Sri Lankan government, the Field Hospital will soon be shifted to Manik Farms in Vavuniya to widen scope of the humanitarian assistance. A need was felt for including a Gynaecologist in the team of doctors but experts said that since the Field Hospital lacks specialized medical equipment and support staff, this would not be feasible at the moment. A lady Medical Officer present in the team was capable of handling routine problems related to women patients.

http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=48771

Mig- 27 aircraft crash

One Mig-27 aircraft of IAF crashed near Luni, about 40 Kms south of Jodhpur on 15 May 09 at about 0820 hrs. The aircraft had got airborne from Jodhpur air base and was on a routine training-flying sortie. The pilot Sqn Ldr P Dhawan ejected safely. An inquiry has been ordered to investigate into the reasons of the accident.

http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=48714

Vigilant IAF pilots brave bullets to facilitate battle of ballot

A major role of the Indian Air Force (IAF) mandate during peace time is aid to civil power. The IAF’s transport and helicopter fleet invariably remain at the forefront of such assigned tasks. Facilitating the unenviable task of conducting the electoral process spearheaded by the Election Commission, two IL-76, four AN-32 transport aircraft, 25 medium-lift helicopters and four Chetak helicopters of IAF were pressed into service during the just concluded elections. The helicopters drawn from 13 different IAF airbases across the country were provided to 14 States - Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Nagaland, Tripura, Orissa, West Bengal, Jammu & Kashmir and the Union Territory of Andaman & Nicobar Islands. While flying over most areas for poll-related duties may seem routine, sorties over the naxal affected regions for some pilots proved anything else but routine. For the Mi-17 crew of Squadron Leader R Dhobhal and Flying Officer K Prakash, facilitating the battle of ballot in their call of duty also turned out to be an experience of facing bullets fired by naxals. The incident occurred on April 16, at Binagonda in Gadchiroli District, bordering Chhattisgarh in Maharashtra. Tasked with airlifting a polling party of five members and EVMs, the Mi-17 crew was airborne from nearby Aheri to pick up the election officials from Binagonda and drop them at Laheri, a mere five-minutes flying-time away. “The additional superintendent of police, Laheri, Mr. Jayakumar and I were overseeing the loading of the men and EVMs when I heard the burst of fire through the din of the rotating rotors,” informs Squadron Leader Dhobhal, a veteran of two UN missions where he had honed his skills in dealing with such scenarios. “Getting away quickly for safety of the crew, passengers and the aircraft was all that was on my mind. In less than 15 seconds we were clear of the helipad,” confirms Squadron Leader Dhobhal, Captain of the flight. A closer inspection on landing revealed a bullet hole made by a 7.62 mm calibre bullet in the tail boom of the helicopter. The aircraft was repaired and safely ferried back to Nagpur. No major damage was done and the quick response of the vigilant crew averted in what could have resulted in a major mishap. It may be recalled that last year on Nov 14, IAF lost an aircrew when Maoist rebels fired at their Mi-8 helicopter during a similar poll-related flying task in Pedia in Bastar region of Chhattisgarh. By the end of the last phase of elections on May 13, the IAF altogether undertook a total of 930 sorties and 780 hours were flown towards election task that included airlifting 6792 passengers, 137 tons of election material and 436 electronic voting machines. In an unprecedented airlift effort undertaken by the IAF’s transport fleet, two IL-76 and four AN-32 airlifted 3234 central para military forces alone from Imphal to Kalaikunda in three days, from April 26-28. As in the past, the significant role of IAF helicopters pilots also has come in for some fulsome praise this time and their contribution acknowledged from various quarters including those from the Ministry of Defence, Home and the State governments. Shri N Gopalaswami, former Chief Election Commissioner just ahead of his retirement on April 20, also appreciated the important contribution of IAF in the conduct of the elections, this year.

http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=48694