Three service chiefs brief PM Modi on Agnipath scheme
Darpan News Desk IANS, 21 Jun, 2022 11:26 AM
New Delhi, June 21 (IANS) The three defence service chiefs on Tuesday briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the Agnipath recruitment scheme.
Army chief, General Manoj Pande, IAF chief Air Chief Marshal V.R. Chaudhari, and Navy chief, Admiral R Hari Kumar met the PM at his residence separately. As per reports, all the three apprised him about the successful rollout of the recently-launched scheme and the induction process.
Earlier in the day, a tri-service press briefing was also held on the Agnipath recruitment scheme. This was the second press briefing after the announcement of the scheme last week by the three service chiefs in the presence of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. The new requirement scheme has sparked widespread protests and agitation in several parts of the country.
"Aginpath scheme balances three things, first youthful profile of the armed forces, technical savvy and adaptable people joining the Army, third makes the individual future-ready. We need the best for the country's security", said Lt Gen Anil Puri, Additional Secretary, Department of Military Affairs, in the briefing on Tuesday.
"The regimental process will be unchanged. We will take an undertaking and aspirants have to submit pledge that they were not involved in any arson or vandalism", he said. Regarding police verification, he said it has always been a part of recruitment process.
Making an announcement in a video message, he said the Aam Aadmi Party government's scheme is aimed at providing good quality ration 'atta' (wheat flour) and 'daal' (pulses) to the people packed in clean gunny bags.
About 105.14 lakh farmers have been benefited with an MSP value of Rs 1,45,358.13 crore, government data showed. Apart from Punjab (1,87,28,335 MT) and Chhattisgarh (92,01,000 MT), the other top paddy procurement states included Telangana (70,22,000 MT), Uttar Pradesh (65,53,029 MT) Odisha (57,16,134), Haryana (55,30,596), Madhya Pradesh (45,82,610), and Bihar (44,90,319 MT).
The bank employees organised demonstrations, sit-in protests, processions and rallies near their workplaces in different cities and towns protesting against the privatisation of banks undertaken by the Centre.
While complimenting the enforcement officers, he said their hands-on approach has led to large number of seizures in the state of fake and smuggled goods. He was speaking at an interactive session by FICCI CASCADE on the 'Strategies' to combat smuggling and counterfeiting, here.
Cheema was responding the Centre's decision on new rules governing the Chandigarh Administration employees, who are currently working under the Punjab service rules but will now come under the Central Civil Services Rules.
Reacting strongly to the announcement by Union Home Minister Amit Shah to bring Chandigarh union territory employees under Central civil services rules, the SAD said, "It is incumbent on the AAP government to make the Centre understand that Chandigarh is a union territory as per an ad-hoc arrangement only.
