DRDO scrapping a Rs 100 cr communication system

(Sunday Guardian-New Delhi – 22  August 2010)

Appu Esthose Suresh

The Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) is on the verge of scrapping the Near Vertical Incidence Skywave (NVIS) mode project worth Rs 100 cr. Sources allege that this is being done so that DRDO leadership can continue to import expensive satellite communication system from abroad.

NVIS, which was successfully tested 10 years ago, is a radio propagation mode that establishes seamless and reliable communication in mountainous terrain over a radius of 0-200 miles. According to a senior DRDO official, “The NVIS is a low cost strategic communication project which will replace the expensive satellite based communication system. The present DRDO leadership is sabotaging a project which will drastically reduce the import of satellite communication-based equipment.”

During the Kargil War the Indian Army reported obstruction and communication blackout in Leh, Kargil and Drass. To provide round-the-clock uninterrupted communication in mountainous terrain, Defence Electronic Application Laboratory (DEAL) was asked to develop the NVIS project.

Letters exchanged between the Indian Army and DEAL in 2000, which are in the possession of this newspaper, contradict the DRDO’s claims.

The project was put on the back burner for five years until DEAL restarted the NVIS study in 2005. Between 2005 and 2010, the Indian Army, using the NVIS study, established several communication networks in the Himalayan region. In 2009, studies were carried out in a ship in the Indian Ocean to assess the suitability of NVIS for the Navy. Last year, DEAL scientists were developing an antenna for helicopters to incorporate NVIS, similar to what the United States has done in Iraq with Apache helicopters. The disappearance of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S.R. Reddy’s helicopter augmented interest in the project.

According to a DEAL scientist, “The project was halted by the DRDO leadership saying that there was no positive response from the armed forces and the project would continue after we get a definite commitment from the armed forces.”

In 2000, DEAL successfully carried out high frequency propagation studies in Pir Panjal and Zanskar ranges. Following the study, 8 Mountain Division of the Army wrote to DEAL and Army Centre for Electromagnetics in Mhow for carrying out trials in Leh, Kargil and Drass, a request which is still pending with DEAL.

A scientist associated with the NVIS project said, “Flimsy arguments are being given to discontinue the project. In case of a nuclear attack, NVIS is the only mode of communication which can be used, because the network depends on reflexes from the ionosphere. The US is still researching the system, why cannot we do the same?”

20^th August 2010

Dear Dr  Saraswat Ji Jaihind

Sir, in DRDO we follow the easy and simple rule we help each other one man scratches other man’s back. Without taking users into confidence the technology development projects are taken where basic science and even concept is not properly known at all. The service officers have limitations to query the application in depth. The proposal is prepared without any technical appropriation note. In developed nation technical appropriation note is the first step of ladder. The helps in preparing the blue print of the technology where the color is given by application of science.

In the DRDO when the proposal is submitted it is reviewed by a expert who has never heard about the system. Being a review member he is getting TA/DA and good food a guarantee to be nomited as member in future review boards, apart from the piece of consultancy costing more than 20 lakhs under CARS program.

The experts at DRDO Hqrs are chosen   critically among the friends who can blindly sign and rarely raise objection and rarely know the application.

As an example when Dr. Bains was director, DEAL, Professor Bharti Bhatt, Delhi IIT was involved as member review committee in almost all microwave, millimeter wave projects of DEAL. In return she got plenty orders for her brother’s firm and secured jobs for her students in DRDO. Professor Bharti Bhatt is well known academician of international fame, but when she came in contact with bluff masters of DRDO, she availed the facilities of bluffer’s paradise.

The same story repeated in DEAL, sh RC Aggarwal originally joined   as Charge man visited NPOL, LRDE, DLRL but never accepted the culture of R&D got benefits and leaped like a frog. The final jump DLRL to DEAL was astonishing because the project (SAMYUKTA) he was working in DLRL was sanctioned in 1982 with 250 crores at the time of its un ceremonial closing the cost was 6500  crores in 2007.

Sh RC Aggarwal when superseded in DLRL he proposed his conditional resignation to DRDO Hqrs with a massage to reveal opens the Pandora box of SAMYUKTA to the public. DRDO Hqrs start shaking and a equation was formulated Sh R C Aggarwal transferred to DEAL with promise to make him director, DEAL if he shut his mouth, such is the caliber of Sh RC Aggarwal.

The same person with leap frog mentality managed to become director, DEAL and get another project SDR (100Crores) sanctioned by DRDO Hqrs.

Does SA believes in Sh RC Aggarwal, if today he gets a better option ( more than 100 crores) he  will leave the SDR on the grace of almighty. He is not competent enough to, he is not faithful to DRDO, he has never delivered a simple sub system or he has never done an independent project, but he is expert to spend 100 crores in desired manner.

The program director SDR Sh R.K Aggarwal who was indicted in association with unethical business firm by CBI, applied and selected in the post of Sc’G’/director in NTRO (National Technical Research Organisation) and he was supposed to join on 2^nd July, to get the maximum benefit in NTRO as the 1^st July is increment date. For these Aggarwal duo money is more important than national interest, when he was offered SDR’s (100 crores) PD post he stayed back. It is same example like for money Sh RK Verma the bulletproof jacket fame DRDO scientist, who was running behind the money and when given a task to critically examin the bulletproof jacket, he preferred money and ignored the precious life of our forces, who never thought of life our Jawans of police, CRPF, BSF, ITBP and other para forces who are giving their supreme sacrifice to our nation security, like Mumbai police Hemant Karkare, Ashok Kamte, Vijay Salaskar, Major Unikrishanan, Commando Gajendra Bist …martyrs of the 26/11 attack.

If DRDO would have worked sincerely on “Seizing & freezing the auto engine from a safe distance to counter fidayeen attack” no one could imagine the parliament (Temple of Republic of India) terrorist attack where the victims included five Delhi Police personnel, a woman constable of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), two Parliament security attendants and a gardener. A journalist who was injured died later.

The team of Sh RC Aggarwal are also planning to repeat bulletproof jacket case in SDR (100 Crores), they don’t have any pain for poor tax payers money, you are already aware the spectrum SDR 3000, which was thrown in corner of building and waiting for condemnation board.

Former SA to RM Dr Atre knew Sh RC aggarwal better than anybody else.

SA is requested to examine once again the competency of Sh Rc Aggarwal, if you wish DRDO to deliver the real SDR not manupalted like which once demonstrated by him. In national interest an appropriate step is taken.

Sir, the common people will remember you for your contribution if you take immediate action on the eve of the birthday of Late Sh.Rajiv Gandhi, Honorable Ex-Prime Minister of India. On SADBHAVNA DIVAS the following activity undertaken by DRDO will be a real tribute to Sh Rajiv Gandhi.

i) Seizing & freezing the auto engine from a safe distance to counter fidayeen attack.

ii) Deep sea (400m-500m) submarine communication technology for mission mode operation

Jaihind                          Jaihind                                Jaihind

Regards

Prabhu Dayal Dandriyal

21-Sunderwala, Raipur, Dehradun-248008

Phone – 2787750, Mobile- 9411114879, E-mail id prabhu@dandriyal.com Website –  www.corruptionindrdo.com/

Copy to

1. Prime Minister Office 011-23019545 /  23016857
2. Smt. Sonia Gandhi, Chairperson, United Progressive Alliance  Fax no.23018651
3. Defence Minister  Fax No 011- 23015403/23910044
   Naval Chief  011-23792620



Dear Dr  Saraswat Ji Jaihind                       18^th August 2010

DRDO has now been known as delayed research and derailed organisation. None of the projects/programs so far met the time schedule as per first proposal, not less than 15-20 years has taken to understand the technology. There is nothing wrong in it if the accountability is fixed to come up with one product which is import substitute.

The program on MBT was not new to Dr.Arunachalam as to develop a battle tank in India, the work was started way back in 1971 after Pakistan war. Instead of stressing research and technology development, Dr Aruncahlam was looking for sales managers/ technology managers, because he wanted to sell the tank outside the world. He had the confidence because he was awarded SS Bhatnagar medal for outstanding research work in the field of metallurgy. His plan to sell the tank was appreciated by everybody, the government of India later pumped money to DRDO at the tune of thousand and thousand crores. This resulted in to delay and derailed project because DRDO top levels indulges in money making and forgot the national mission.

The after effect was the science and technology were left behind and DRDO become a gathering of sales and technology managers but they had nothing to sell, the same is true even today.

DEAL being an integral part of DRDO was working honestly and developed systems like VLF, NARAD SATCOM terminal etc as long as it was getting projects worth lakhs of rupees. When crores were brought in DEAL the total activities derailed and the mangers lost their sleep just to meet the plan expenditure in crores. The Scientist ‘B’ to Scientist ‘F’ were engaged to raise the files, systems were procured in nineties were even not unpacked by 2005 and the repeat orders were again placed for systems like spectrum analyzers, network analyzers etc.

Even the second hand/refurbished/scrap electronics systems/ components were procured paying hefty foreign currency, under the patronage of Dr. Bains then Director (1996-2004) and expert guidance of Dr.K D Nayak (Present CC R&D). The present HMM of DEAL was one of the beloved and trained scientist who is also expert in fake procurement also involved in lot of fake procurement in DEAL in Dr.Bains era. I filed two RTI with custom department to find out how the CDEs  (Custom Duty Certificates) were given for   second hand/refurbished/scrap electronics systems/ components. On 13^th August the top custom authorities at north block assured me to provide all CDE related information with respect to DEAL.

Sir, Sh RC Aggarwal, the present  Director DEAL and mentor of SDR (Software Defined Radio) which is costing rupees 100 crores is surrounded by the same trained expert team who are the bluff masters in fake procurements. I fear that the new generation of young scientist will fall prey. As an example

i)                DEAL’s young scientist developed software which was handed over by Capt. P.K.Shukla to a company and same was procured by DEAL in good price. (Capt Shukla presently in DRDO Hqrs.)

ii)              The scientist and technical assistant from DEAL assembled the MM Wave components and same sets were procured by DEAL from VXL technologies.

Fortunately the practice of downsizing of IIT’s products is still on, IIT’s graduates are reporting to Grade IETE, MSc etc. In SDR project once again the story will repeat in same manner as it was in the time of Dr. Bains.

SA is requested to be conscious otherwise like Dr.Bains who manages to fool Dr.APJ Kalam then SA to RM in one of the single tender procurement which was revealed by CBI, Dehradun in its report.

CBI also indicated Sh R.K. Aggarwal, associate director, DEAL, project director, SDR for his association with the mysterious procurement from the company who was involved in unethical business.

Sh R.C. Aggarwal has so far made 20 procurement cases for SDR projects and awaiting a suitable date and time to visit SA (you) for obtaining clearance for PAC/single tender.

The present stores officer of DEAL, who is working sincerely and consciously as per DRDO’s procurement rules, but the HMM/CFA are afraid of him. They want to use same earlier tactics of procurement where the supplier were taken in to confidence to supplies the items as desired manner  like earlier procurement of  second hand/refurbished/scrap systems. The SDR’s indenter is finding stores officer as obstructer and will soon request you to help to clear the obstruction.

SDR procurement analysis of specific cases will be follows.

Jaihind Jaihind        Jaihind

Regards

Prabhu Dayal Dandriyal

21-Sunderwala, Raipur, Dehradun-248008

Phone – 2787750, Mobile- 9411114879, E-mail id prabhu@dandriyal.com Website – www.corruptionindrdo.com

Copy to

1. Prime Minister Office 011-23019545 /  23016857
2. Smt. Sonia Gandhi, Chairperson, United Progressive Alliance  Fax no.23018651
3. Defence Minister  Fax No 011- 23015403/23910044
4. Naval Chief  011-23792620

Good morning Dr  Saraswat Ji 11^th August 2010

With changing policy of the government of India special package were given to DRDO for infrastructure development out of the critical defence budget. Beautiful buildings/ complexes and modern equipments were added during 90’s and same continued thereafter.

DEAL also expanded its building and boundaries but the scientific research and achievement declined. Once known for authority in communication/ propagation, when Dr. A S Bains took the charge as director, DEAL in 1996 he discouraged all other activities and pumped money for the millimeter wave activities only. Millimeter wave has range limitation and even if mega watt power is pumped the terminal is useless of any strategic application. But MM wave research cuff up of 100 Crores of  `  that was rotated safely through the fake vendors to the pocket of DRDO’s scientists from the top to bottom. There is  a mechanism to earn the money through useless unaccountable research work was proved in MM wave activities and opened up a new avenue and inculcated a new culture and mechanism to earn safely extra money without taking pain, and without any accountability.

DRDO declared Dr Bains’s period of DEAL as black period.

When Sh. Ashok Sen took charge as director DEAL in 2004. Due to his past experience  and his personal relation which he developed in his last 31 years at DEAL, he managed   the show and tried to bring out DEAL from darkness, he did damage control and got some sub contract work from other labs. But the legacy which he received from Dr. Bains castism/nepotism/regionalism and help the   courtier’s that continued. Dr. Bains’s promoted punjabi’s and his  courtier’s , Sh Ashok Sen offered bengali’s a platform from where they can fly with booster rocket(out standing ACR’s).   Sen could not manage to utilize DEAL’s scientists potential because of his incompetency for getting project from DRDO Hqrs.

The present director Sh RC Aggarwal when took the charge in 2007, he cleverly implemented castism  a legacy which he received from the past two directors. All his advisers set the agenda for community development, Ansal/Bansal/ Aggarwal/Gupta/ Jain/Jaiswal/Mittal/Kansal/Singhal etc.,    brought in to main stream. Presently DEAL’s two associate director’s  Jain & aggarwal, HMM is Gupta, financial adviser is mittal in 365 days 99% of Temporary duties are made for Ansal/Bansal/ Aggarwal /Gupta /Jain/ Jaiswal/ Mittal/ Kansal/Singhal etc, please check from DEAL’s record. Director himself remains out of DEAL for 90% of the time and DEAL is run by nun.

Had Sh R C Aggarwal been made PM of India all minister, secretaries, CEO’s, Army General would have been from the same cast.

From Dr. Bains era DEAL is famous for as a “bluffer’s paradise.”

When SDR was planned/ conceived knowing the limitation of DEAL to make simple fix frequency radio the committee of CC’s decided to give seed money ` 15 Crores for feasibility study. Sh R C Aggarwal, director, DEAL immediately procured on order of Spectrum SDR 3000 a tool kit along with software and hardware by paying crores of foreign currency. He himself went for training to US but unfortunately could not learn the operation of Spectrum SDR 3000 and came back blank. The problem was who will trained the SDR 3000 tool kit. The company was approached but DRDO Hqrs did not allowed sending another person for training. Finally equipment (Spectrum SDR 3000) was thrown in corner of building and waiting for condemnation board and Spectrum SDR 4000 is procured along with accessories.

Does SA to RM institute any enquiry?

Sh RC Aggarwal with his all manipulation (a promises of big fat commission to superior) succeeded in getting   ` 100 crores SDR (Software Defined Radio) project.

Congratulation! From 2008 till date the procurement of DEAL say’s that it has failed to achieve 20% planned target annually in a financial year. There are 14 committees of aggarwals who look in to procurement cases, allows only those procurement which assure aggarwal committee a fat commission whether it is building contract/ Arboriculture/Horticulture/ Furniture/ conservancy or any other contract, and one more practice is also developed in DEAL that the committee also giving first preference  to aggarwal’s  community contractors and vendors. Please see the DEAL’s records.

Under such scenario which is known to DRDO Hqrs how come DEAL will spend in ` 33 Crores in a year under SDR project. Even that aggarwal team has planned SDR to sub contracted in to the pieces but all the major contract has to follow the procurement rules of DRDO.

Any one in DRDO is able to tell SDR’s fate?

Regards

Prabhu Dayal Dandriyal

21-Sunderwala, Raipur, Dehradun-248008

Phone – 2787750, Mobile- 9411114879, E-mail id prabhu@dandriyal.com

Website –  www.corruptionindrdo.com/

Copy to

1.             Smt. Sonia Gandhi, Chairperson, United Progressive Alliance  Fax no.23018651

2.             Defence Minister  Fax No 011- 23015403

3.             Director, DEAL Fax No 2787265/2787190

10^th August 2010

Good morning Dr.  Saraswat Ji

Way back in 1992 the foundation of Combat Net Radio was led by a non scientific concept. The original version promised to deliver a radio having bandwidth 2 MHz  to 400 MHz. This band is possible for receiver but for transmission it is logically failed    mis-calculation. As a result later the frequency was reduce up to 30-88 MHz, interesting point is a army officer who was associated with PLAN AREN joined BEL as DGM and whatever BEL was paid to him for period of three years he returned 100 times of the amount because he was instrumental in the signing MOU between, DEAL, DRDO, Dehradun and BEL, Panchkula for the that original CNR.DRDO paid ` 65 lakhs to BEL, Panchkula but even the prototype never saw the light.

IISc similarly is paying to the retired top scientist of DRDO few lakhs as consultancy and as well as visiting faculty, these ex-bosses in turns manages multi crores funds on R&D projects under R&T schemes/ER&IPR. There is nexus between the few ex top scientists, suppliers and some professors of IISc. The money is equally distributed for some personal benefits.

CNR (Combat Net Radio) was the baby of Dr.V.K.Atre Ex SA to RM and the project SDR( Software Defined Radio) is also conceived with his blessing by his old associate Sh R.C. Aggarwal, Director, DEAL, Dehradun. Neither of the project would get success because the commitment is missing, the urge of development something new is missing.

When CNR was demonstrated to SO in C and SA to RM during field trials actual networking was not done and VHF card (Star – V) gave the voice. In SDR similar trick was played when demonstrated to Dr Saraswat, SA to RM  (you)  the DEAL has not made a single radio so far then thanks to you for a big Banbder Bant of 100 Crore.

To be soon followed by SDR fate

Regards

Prabhu Dayal Dandriyal

21-Sunderwala, Raipur, Dehradun-248008

Phone – 2787750, Mobile- 9411114879,

E-mail id prabhu@dandriyal.com website – www.corruptionindrdo.com

Copy to

1. Smt. Sonia Gandhi, Chairperson, United Progressive Alliance  Fax no.23018651
2. Defence Minister  Fax No 011- 23015403
3. Director, DRDL Fax No.040-24340017
4. Director, DEAL Fax No 2787265/2787190