Punjab gives compensation to 40 Jodhpur detenues, assures others
Chandigarh, June 28: Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Thursday handed out cheques for the state's share of the compensation money ordered to be paid to 40 Jodhpur detenues and assured of similar help to the remaining 325 detenues.
The Chief Minister handed over cheques totalling over Rs 2.16 crore as the state's 50 per cent share in the approximately Rs 4.5 crore compensation announced by an Amritsar district court to the 40 detenues who had approached it for relief.
Amarinder Singh said those who did not move the court were also entitled to compensation and that his government will make similar payments to them too.
He expressed the confidence that the Centre would agree to his plea to contribute its share of compensation money to these 325 detenues.
A total of 365 persons were arrested and lodged in Jodhpur jail in Rajasthan in the wake of Operation Blue Star in 1984. Known as the Jodhpur detainees, they were released in 1986. Nearly 100 of them have since died.
Of the 40 detenues who approached the court, seven passed away while the case was being heard.
Amarinder Singh also said that the state was prepared to release the full compensation amount to the 40 detainees but he was informed of the Centre's decision to release its share.
"It is a small compensation for the pain they have undergone. We will also look into their demand for jobs for their children," the Chief Minister said.
The detenues who went to court were awarded Rs 4 lakh each along with 6 per cent interest (from the date of filing of the appeal to payment of compensation) in April last year.
The total compensation, including interest, works out to nearly Rs 4.5 crore.
While the Punjab government had given an undertaking in the court to pay half the amount, the central government had appealed in the Punjab and Haryana High Court against the impugned order.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Airlines got 999 hoax bomb threats till Nov 14 this year; 256 FIRs filed: Govt
New Delhi, Nov 28: Airlines received 999 hoax bomb threats this year till November 14 and as many as 256 FIRs have been filed while guidelines have been issued by aviation security regulator BCAS for objective assessment of threats, the government said on Thursday.
In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol said a total of 1,148 hoax bomb threat messages/calls have been received since August 2022 till November 14, 2024 threatening the operations of international and domestic air travel.
While 999 threats were received by airlines during the period from January to November 14, 2024, the count stood at 122 last year and at 27 for the August-December 2022 period.
"256 FIRs have been filed since January 2024 till 14 November 2024, out of which 163 FIRs have been filed during 14 October- 14 November 2024. 12 arrests have been made in view of hoax bomb threat since January 2024 till 14 November 2024," the minister said.
The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) has issued guidelines for objective assessment of threats. The indicative factor has been useful in reducing time taken by the Bomb Threat Assessment Committee (BTAC) during the decision-making process.
"Also, to reduce the overall time taken for convening BTAC to less than 5 minutes, virtual assembly of BTAC through pre-generated video link has been set up. Further, advisories for compulsory 10 per cent of secondary ladder point check-in for all flights, strict monitoring of non-scheduled flight operations, enhanced security measures and surveillance at cargo terminals were issued," Mohol said.
Further, the minister said the government is considering amending the Aircraft (Security) Rules, 2023 to put hoax threat messenger in the no-fly list.
"It is also being considered to amend Suppression of Unlawful Acts against Safety of Civil Aviation for covering Aircraft in flight as well as on ground, airport etc," he added.
