Sting Operation Traps Major General in Supply of Rations to Troops in High Altitude

Shiv Aroor | Headlines Today | New Delhi, June 25, 2012 | UPDATED 21:51 IST
Now, army probes bribe charge against ASC major general in Jammu and Kashmir A senior army officer, attached to a Northern Command unit, has come under investigation over the allegation of corruption for contracts that deal with the supply of rations to soldiers in India's most hostile zone, Jammu and Kashmir.
Sources told Headlines Today that the Major General at Army Supply Corp (ASC) in Udhampur, V.K. Sharma, who oversees the procurement and supply of rations for soldiers in the north, has come under the scanner for corrupt collusion with private contractors to manipulate supplies.
There have been multiple complaints against Maj Gen Sharma, but it was understood that he was caught red handed in a sting operation after he allegedly demanded bribes for contracts.
The shameful allegation comes as yet another big embarrassment for the army, which has received various kinds of accusations against some its top officers in the recent past.
The reason why the army has been taking the case seriously was that there have been many high profile cases in the past when even a chief of the ASC was caught in shameful acts of corruption. Cheating soldiers out of their very basic due has always been seen as the lowest, most condemnable form of corruption.
It clearly shows that the soldiers guarding India's northern frontiers along the Line of Control (LoC) and in the Ladakh region have more than just the enemy to look out for.
Investigations were still on and there were no indictments yet, but the army once again faces the terrible prospect of the enemy being one of its own.
Read more at: Bribe charge against ASC major general in Jammu and Kashmir
Sources said the Northern Command received several complaints against the officer, mostly from contractors who accused him of demanding favours in return for awarding contracts. Given the serious nature of the complaints and the senior rank of the officer, an operation was carried out by Army authorities to probe the matter.
According to reports, the officer was caught red-handed in a possible “sting operation” involving a contractor. “A court of inquiry has been ordered into allegations of financial impropriety against Maj Gen Sharma,” confirmed a senior Army HQ officer, denying that the officer has been placed under detention.
Maj Gen Sharma was in charge of supplies for the vital Northern Command, which has the largest number of soldiers deployed for counter insurgency and border duties. The command procures crores worth of rations and supplies for soldiers posted at the Siachen glacier, Kargil, the Kashmir valley and along the Line of Control.
Comment: Traitors in Army Supply Corps need to be got rid off expeditiously and ruthlessly. These guys are the enemy within supplying Gasoline adulterated with water to the forward troops and contaminated Rations. Indian Army mobility severely compromised by Corruption in forward Areas. Chinese laws must be implemented here- SHOOT the Traitors.

Self Defeating Indian Military Manipulates to Degrade Rank and Honour

Indian Army Manipulations Exposed
The question whether it is always the civilian establishment which denies us our dues. The following examples prove contrary.

Grant of higher scale to Lt Gens after the 5th CPC: The 5th CPC saw degradation of Lt Gens by way of placing them below DGPs from the IPS. A case was taken up for the rectification of the anomaly and the Services were offered on a platter that 1/3rd Lt Gens (other than Army Commanders who were already in a higher bracket) could be upgraded. It was refused by us and our stand was- give us 100% or give us none. Now this had far reaching consequences which are there for all to see even today. Rather than taking the offer and then fighting for rest of Lt Gens, we refused it altogether as a result of which all Lt Gens remained lower in pay than DGPs and were again placed in a lower grade (HAG) than DGPs (HAG+) in the 6th CPC. And then post 6th CPC, after much hankering we accepted the proposal of upgradation of 1/3rd Lt Gens to HAG+. The position would have been much better had we accepted 1/3rd after the 5th CPC and a higher figure after the 6th CPC. Who was to blame?, Not the MoD!

Grant of Pay Band-4 to Lt Cols after the 6th CPC: I haven’t stated this openly before, but the greatest resistance for grant of Pay Band-4 to Lt Cols came from within the Army, but the same was thankfully off-set by a stellar performance by the Air Force and Navy. The objection of the Army was that there would remain no incentive for higher ranks if this were to be accepted. A banal argument in light of the fact that we were ready to face a steep degradation in status and pay vis-à-vis civilian counterparts to ensure an imaginary incentive for higher ranks!.

Higher Grade Pay for Colonel vis-à-vis the rank of DIG: The pay scale of DIG was traditionally placed between the scales of Lt Col and full Col. After the 6th CPC, DIG was placed in a Grade Pay equivalent to a Brig. Despite forceful attempts by the Pay Commission Cells of the three services, the ultimate proposal forwarded to the Govt by the Services contained a demand of a Grade Pay of 8800 for a full Col and acceptance of 8900 for a Brig, thereby tacitly agreeing an inferior role for a Col and equation of a Brig (28 years’ service) with a DIG with 14 years’ of service. We did not seek for Colonel a GP higher than DIG and on the contrary sought a lower GP. If we do not even demand, why would they give?

Non-functional financial upgradation: In the organised Group A Services, after the 6th CPC, all officers are now entitled to non-functional financial upgradation till the scale of HAG (equal to Lt Gen) in case they are not promoted in the ordinary course. Hence, innocuously, unknown to our top brass, almost all civil officers irrespective of actual rank or grade, including those of the MES, are retiring with the pay and pension of Lt Gen while we continue fighting on mundane issues and wasting our energies and intelligence debating on the colour of the curtain in the VIP room (Ganga ???) in the Alpha Mess. There has been a silent takeover by the HAG on the civil side without much fanfare. When this matter was raised by the Air Force and Navy at a time when the Govt was willing to listen, it was shot down by the Army component. Realising the joke that we had played upon ourselves by not processing the proposal when it could see the light of the day, we took it up again, but this time it was rejected by the MoD. So whom do we blame ?

Grant of DACP to military medicos :- When the Govt had approved the Dynamic Assured Career Progression scheme for all doctors under the central govt, there was resistance from our very own PPOC (emanating again from the Army) that this would lead to higher pay to doctors than other officers. It was also foolishly pointed out that military doctors were in receipt of the Military Service Pay also and hence did not deserve DACP. Rather than helping our very own doctors in reaping benefits announced by the govt, we resisted such benefits. On the contrary, we should have smoothly allowed the scheme to be implemented and then could have asked for rectification of other anomalies affecting other personnel. A similar inane bogey was raised in the earlier part of the last century when the Central Govt had introduced Non-Practicing Allowance (NPA) for all doctors. This had led to a protest by the Army HQ that if implemented, the doctors would start getting more emoluments than other Arms and Services. A pity, isn’t it ?

Non-grant of AV Report benefits to SSCOs commissioned prior to 2006 :- When the AV Singh Committee report was implemented, it was implemented for all officers serving in the Army as on 16 December 2004. Later however, our very own MS Branch discovered a ‘ghundi’ and observed that the said benefits could not be granted to SSCOs and WSES officers. When later the SSC scheme was tweaked in 2006 and the terms of engagement were changed from 5+5+4 to 10+4 years, the AV benefits were granted to all those who were commissioned under the said scheme or to those who had opted for the new terms. As a result of this, Male SSCOs commissioned prior to 2006 who are in old terms, including those who were in service in December 2004, are being promoted as quasi-substantive Captains on completing 9 years of service and are retiring in the substantive rank of Lieut even after serving for 14 years while their SSCO counterparts commissioned after 2006 are being promoted as Capt in 2 years, Maj in 6 years and Lt Col in 13 years. Similarly, WSES officers under the old terms are being promoted as Capt after 5 years and are not eligible for any substantive promotion after Capt. When there was hue and cry on the subject, our PS Directorate did take up the issue for rectification but recommended that SSCOs commissioned under the old terms should be made Capt in 5 years rather than the current 9 years !. So there you have it, we are not even magnanimous in demanding our rights. Rather than simply seeking that all officers who were in service in December 2004 or who joined thereafter should be promoted to Capt, Maj and Lt Col in 2, 6 and 13 years as per the universally applicable promotion scheme, we ourselves have been misers in demanding what should have logically flown to us without impediment. So who shall give if we do not even demand ?

Placing senior officers on appointments tenable by junior civilians :- Sample this – while we continue placing Lt Cols and Time Scale Colonels as GEs, the civilian establishment sends only officers with GP 6600 or max 7600 on these appointments. On one hand we theoretically claim that a Superintending Engineer is equal to a Lt Col, while on the other we continue sending Lt Cols and Cols on appointments tenable by even Executive Engineers. We send senior Majors from the SL cadre as AGEs which is an appointment held by Subedar equivalent GP 4600 (Group B) and Lieut equivalent GP 5400 officers from the civil side. We have been posting Majors as BSOs which is an appointment tenable by Group B Officers in GP 4600 who are 4 steps junior. And this is our own doing and cadre management, and then we blame the civilians for degradation of status! Brace yourself for the 7th CPC.
Posted by Navdeep / Maj Navdeep Singh
Indian Military Masters of Self Defeat: Click here to read more
Comment: Kudos to Maj Navdeep who has delineated the MOD and AHQ- which are literally run by a bunch of self serving stereo stylists sans sensibilities!

National Disaster Management Team drains the Army in Sikkim

Friday , September 23 , 2011
Disaster team drain on army
SUJAN DUTTA
New Delhi, Sept. 22: The army in Sikkim is fed up with the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) because its personnel are not only unfit for rescue and relief work but also a drain on the military’s resources.

Army officers are wary of speaking out in public on the difficulties of helping the NDRF — which they have been asked to by the home ministry — but it takes little for them to vent their ire in private.

“They (the NDRF) do not have any administrative support and they are eating into ours. They should remain in Delhi and Gurgaon to rescue cats from high-rises,” an angry officer said.

Officers on the ground have been constantly complaining to their superiors and higher headquarters on the demands being made by the NDRF.

“This is a time for all able people to get down on the ground with pickaxes and shovels but these NDRF personnel are not fit enough to walk 1,500 feet downhill and then 800 feet uphill,” one officer said.

Deployment in the Himalayan state demands acclimatisation and high-energy levels that are not ordinarily required in the plains. The 10 NDRF teams, of about 400 personnel, were flown in by the Indian Air Force’s newly acquired Super Hercules C-130J aircraft from Delhi and Calcutta.

For nearly two days they were stranded in Bagdogra and Siliguri waiting for army engineers to clear the road to Gangtok after Sunday evening’s quake.

The army was also asked to dedicate three helicopters to the NDRF, an order that it has grudgingly accepted.

“This is the time for all available resources to be put to the best use. But we have had to give them these helicopters and they are still in ‘recce mode’ while we are desperately looking for more for casualty evacuation and to fly in resources,” another officer said.

Sikkim is in the army’s Sukna-headquartered 33 Corps area of responsibility. The Corps has three divisions — 27 (headquartered in Kalimpong), 17 (Gangtok) and 20 (Binaguri). All three are mountain divisions with their soldiers acclimatised or acclimatising for deployment in high-altitude positions.

Many of the army posts along the 250-odd kilometre frontage with China in North and East Sikkim are still not physically accessible.

But there are nearly 6,000 troops whose main task now is to clear roads because the deployment for “border management” (a defensive posture) does not require all resources to be posted at the front.

The army has been deployed across Sikkim for 40 years and along with the Indo-Tibetan Border Police were the first responders to the quake.

An officer complained that not only has the NDRF been given dedicated helicopters, its officers also demand to be guided by the army.

The NDRF is a young force, formed after the 2004 tsunami. Ironically, former army chief, General (retired) Nirmal Chandra Vij heads the National Disaster Management Authority.
Disaster team drain on army

Why do we lag behind China?

Recently, the London-based Legatum Institute’s Prosperity Index placed India well ahead of China. In domestic institutional maturity, India was ranked 36th to China’s 100th. And then in the social capital sub-index India was ranked 5th and China, 70th.

Thus, India was supposed to have beaten China. But could it be true? I had doubts. Today’s report – US cos prefer China for investment (click me) seems to give the correct picture. (quote- The survey states as much as 74 per cent of the American companies surveyed ranked China as a top-three investment priority with nearly 20 per cent of them naming it as the number one investment spot for them.- unquote)

The 2009 China Business Report released by the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai shows that ‘a large majority of American firms operating in China the continue to see revenue and profit growth even as elsewhere they face downturn.’ China is the world’s ‘fastest growing economy.’ Not surprising. May I share a personal experience?

Last summer, I had taken the Alaskan cruise. On board the ‘Radiance of the Seas.’ It is a big ship with excellent facilities. In the midst of an unfamiliar luxury, what struck the patriotic cord was the fact that almost everything one saw on board the American ship was ‘made in China’.

In the cabin, the toiletries, towels, linen and water flasks were from China. In the dining hall, the crockery and cutlery carried the Chinese label. The position persisted in the shopping area. Even a small battery ‘charger’ needed to energise the camera, though labelled ‘Kodak,’ had actually come from China. It seemed that the ship was flooded with Chinese goods.

After about 36 hours of leaving Vancouver, we had anchored at Ketchikan. It is a small but beautiful town in the state of Alaska. It is popularly known as the ‘salmon’ city. Has a total population of about 13,000. There are shops within almost a hundred yards of the port. One may walk into any shop. Each one is stuffed with all kinds of winter wear and small souvenirs. The caps, shirts, sweaters, chinaware and knives. Everything except the knives, which are a purely local product, was from China.

Click here to read the full article by JL Gupta from Tribune India

Tailpiece
by SaneIndian on Dec 12, 2009 01:22 AM
Infrastructure in India is beyond horrible. Why would anybody want to invest in India when there is no proper transportation or storage available? Govt should invest heavily in developing infrastructure first. Then India can dream about competing with China. The horrible conditions of the roads and indiscriminate use of Auto-Rickshaws and 2 wheelers ruin what ever little good is there on Indian roads- Chennai City says it all loudly! India has become a joke among the west. All we are doing is living in a false paradise. Democracy is a farce in India: It is more of Criminalisation of the Citizens by the State- The Indian Constitution favours Criminals and Political Criminals to breed at faster pace than the growth of population (as is evident for the last 60 years)!

China Showcases Military in Anniversary Parade

Courtesy Wall Street Journal
By IAN JOHNSON
BEIJING -- China kicked off National Day celebrations Thursday with an old-style communist military parade featuring missiles and tanks and a series of floats touting its new prosperity -- an extravaganza involving hundreds of thousands of performers intended to showcase both its history and its rise as an economic power.

...The events were the culmination of months of careful planning to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the People's Republic of China, founded when China's civil war ended with a communist victory. Like the opening ceremony of last year's Olympics, it was a precision event with no detail too small to ignore -- even the marching soldiers had been selected to be almost the same height.

Security was tight, with huge swaths of the city under tight control. Over the past two years, China has experienced the first serious ethnic riots in recent history and officials have started to warn of a growing terrorist threat. Police closed the international airport for the three-hour event, while buildings half a mile away from the parade were sealed off and handed over to local police. As the parade got under way under blue skies, it resembled more of a solemn ceremony than a festive occasion. Every performer, float and slogan had been carefully chosen by the Communist Party's propaganda machine.

In rehearsals over the past few months, students carried large books they held up over their heads and opened in unison to make giant pictures or slogans. When they turned the pages -- always in unison according to radioed instructions -- new pictures and slogans appeared. The synchronized effort was the result of hundreds of hours of practice.

"Almost everyone wanted to participate because it looks good to have been selected," said Fu Yiran, a 14-year-old high school student who was to participate. "Only the best students get to do this." The viewers of this extravaganza: a television audience of hundreds of millions, and a hand-picked audience of dignitaries. On the north side of Tiananmen Square, the country's leaders solemnly reviewed the event.

As in past parades, much foreign attention was focused on the military hardware for clues to the country's rapid military modernization. At the 50th anniversary in 1999, 24,000 soldiers paraded by, often with outdated weapons. Reflecting the Chinese armed forces' shift from a large land-based army to a smaller, modern force, just 5,000 soldiers were scheduled to participate this time, but their weapons are the envy of many countries.

Businesses and ordinary life around Beijing came to a halt on Thursday as the country celebrates the 60th anniversary of its founding with a huge military parade. Chinese officials said 52 weapons systems -- all made in China -- will be on display. None were expected to be new for military experts, but many observers were still fascinated by the display.

One key weapon that has attracted attention is the "aircraft killer" Dongfeng 21, an antiship ballistic missile. Wendell Minnick, Asia bureau chief for Defense News, said the missile is meant to keep U.S. aircraft carriers at bay should they try to come to Taiwan's aid in the event of a Chinese invasion. (China claims democratically ruled Taiwan as part of its territory and has said that it could use force if Taiwan were to declare its formal independence.)

"This is going to give the China-threat crowd in Washington ammunition," Mr. Minnick said. Chinese officials said the display wasn't meant to intimidate, but simply to display the fruits of modernization. "A country's military ability is not a threat to anyone, what is important is its military policy," Gen. Gao Jianguo, executive deputy director of the office of the National Day Military Parade Joint Command, said earlier this week. The military parade is part of a new tradition, he said, and isn't meant to send other countries a message.
China Showcases Military in Anniversary Parade

A reserve army of unemployed ESM worries China's leaders

The Chinese ESM main grievance is the difficulty of settling back into civilian life. Most soldiers from towns are assigned jobs in the civilian sector when they leave the army. But this has become increasingly difficult because of the dismantling of state- owned enterprises (SOEs) in recent years and the resentment of surviving SOEs at having ESM foisted on them. Rural soldiers, the bulk of PBOR are being sent back to villages where there is next to nothing to do.

China and India are confronted with similar problems because of the large Land Armies and the increasing number of ESM seeking civilian jobs. Even in recruitment of Soldiers there is similar degree of corruption as it has been evidently observed in the Recruitment Rallies in China and India. China scouts colleges to fill ranks of modern army. The fliers circulating in the campuses of China's most prestigious universities showed three soldiers positioned against a Chinese flag and an appeal that read in part, "Carry Your Pen to the Army to Become More Accomplished."

Full Story at
Unemployed ESM worries China's leaders
China scouts colleges to fill ranks of modern army