Defence Minister Arun Jaitley (Source: PTI Photo/TV GRAB)
Days after a report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) said that the Army faces a shortfall in 40 per cent types of ammunition to fight a 10-day war, Defence Minister Arun Jaitley told Parliament Tuesday that Indian forces are “reasonably and sufficiently equipped” now as procedures have been simplified and powers have been decentralised. His response in Rajya Sabha came after Samajwadi Party’s Ram Gopal Yadav sought the government’s response on the CAG report.
He said there is tension on the border and according to the CAG report, the Army’s arms and ammunition stock will last for only ten days in the event of a war. He sought an answer from the government on how the stock has depleted so much.
In response the Defence Minister said “a particular” CAG report was given in 2013 and a follow-up report was “submitted recently”. “The report has reference in relation to a particular point of time. Substantially, thereafter, significant progress has been made…Thereafter, procedures have been simplified, powers have been decentralised and the armed forces are reasonably and sufficiently equipped. Let me assure this House,” Jaitley said.
His response drew sharp remarks from Congress. Deputy leader of the party in the House Anand Sharma sought to know when the procedures were simplified. He said it was only ten days ago that a committee was set up and the government has now taken a decision to go for emergency ammunition purchases.
“It is not something which is available like, you buy an ice-cream in the market. How can you say? For three years, nothing was done. When the Prime Minister took an oath of office, there was no regular Defence Minister. When Parrikar came, he was a non-performer and now both the borders are tense,” he said.
According to the CAG Compliance Report tabled in Parliament last week, in March 2013, stock of 50 per cent of ammunition types (85 out of 170) was adequate for less than 10 days of war. As on September 2016, stocks of about 40 per cent (61 out of 152 types) of ammunition was at a critical level.
Congress’s Ripun Bora said major decisions for procurement taken from 2009 to 2013 by the previous UPA government have not been approved by the current government. In 2013, the Defence Ministry had prepared a Rs 16,500-crore plan to fill the deficit of arms and ammunition, but it has not been implemented yet, he said.
