By MEERA MOHANTY & Manu Pubby, ET Bureau | 11 May, 2015, 07.04AM IST
NEW DELHI: Terrorists, irrespective of wherever they may be operating from, should be neutralised using all types of methods, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar told ET in an exclusive interview. He elaborated that “neutralisation” doesn’t necessarily mean killing terrorists but making them “ineffective.”
Parrikar also criticised ex-BJP minister Arun Shourie, saying the latter “does not have the full brief on what is happening”. Shourie had recently said the Narendra Modi government was faltering on policymaking and delivery.
Responding to a question on how India should deal with terrorists in foreign territory, the defence minister said: “A terrorist has to be neutralised-…Certain issues cannot be discussed but I feel that for any enemy of the country, all types of methods should be used to neutralise them.”
“Neutralising does not mean just killing…it means any method that makes them non-functional – get him to jail or to make him ineffective in any manner,” Parrikar added.
In his wide-ranging interaction with ET covering several key policy areas, Parrikar also set out the exact figure on India’s manufacturing share of the Rafale fighter jet project – France will need to spend 50% of the contract value, almost four billion dollars, as investments in the Indian defence and aerospace sector. The minister said the Rafale jet project will “unleash Make-in- India”.
Parrikar also said that with India buying around 36 Rafale jets for now, government savings on this project is likely to be up Rs 60,000-65,000 crore. This money, Parrikar said, will be used to accelerate defence manufacturing in India, including speeding up the long-ingestation Light Combat Aircraft. The minister said LCA will be inducted in large numbers, up to 200 fighters or 10 squadrons.
Parrikar linked low levels infiltration from Pakistan and fewer incidents of cross-border firing this year to Indian forces’ strong retaliation to “misadventures”.
Acknowledgingthat defence forces face an issue on resources, the minister said all three wings, army, air force and navy, must prioritise spending. All three wings have been asked to make a list of must-have items, Parrikar said. He said Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) would have a new head by May 24.
DRDO will also have a separate Scientific Advisor, who will be attached to the ministry for independent advice. Parrikar said for important projects he will form consortiums of all stakeholders from the government system, it won’t be just DRDO taking all the critical decisions.If the army has to operate in the Jammu & Kashmir, it needs AFSPA: Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar
Not only that, IAF would be “constrained” to induct the fighter LCA without availability of a trainer model, thereby “adversely impacting pilot training.”
By PTI | 8 May, 2015, 07.40PM IST – The Economic Times NEW DELHI: India’s Tejas Light Combat Aircraft project, in the works for over three decades, came under severe criticism from CAG today as it pointed out that its Mark-I version has 53 “significant shortfalls” which have reduced its operational capabilities as well as survivability.
Not only that, IAF would be “constrained” to induct the fighter LCA without availability of a trainer model, thereby “adversely impacting pilot training”, the audit body said in a report tabled in Parliament.
The CAG noted that it was due to the delay in the manufacture and supply of LCA that IAF had to go for alternative temporary measures such as upgrading its MIG BIS, MiG-29, Jaguar, and Mirage aircraft at a cost of Rs 20,037 crore and revise the phasing out of MiG-21s.
“LCA Mark-I, which achieved Initial Operational Clearance (December, 2013) has significant shortfalls (53 permanent waivers/concessions” in meeting ASR (Air Staff Requirements) as a result of which it will have reduced operational capabilities and reduced survivability, thereby limiting its operational employability when inducted into IAF squadrons,” the report said.
Listing the shortcomings, the CAG said that the LCA Mark- I fails to meet the electronic warfare capabilities sought by IAF as the Self-Protection Jammer could not be fitted on the aircraft due to space constraints.
Also, it said that the Radar Warning Receiver/Counter Measure Dispensing System fitted on the aircraft had raised performance concerns which are yet to be overcome till January this year.
It added that the shortcomings in the Mark-I (increased weight, reduced internal fuel capacity, non-compliance of fuel system protection, pilot protection from front, reduced speed) are expected to be overcome in the Mark-II model.
“LCA Mark-I does not meet the ASR. The deficiencies are now expected to be met in LCA Mark-II by December 2018,” the CAG said.
IAF had proposed in the early 1980s that a new aircraft be developed to replace the MiG-21 fleet, manufactured during 1966 and 1987, after its phasing out in the 1990s.
The project for indigenous design and development of LCA was sanctioned in 1983 at a cost of Rs 560 crore, which was enhanced from time to time up to Rs 10,397.11 crore.
The government in June, 1984, constituted an Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) as a dedicated institution for the management of the LCA project.
IAF had issued Air Staff Requirement (ASR) in October, 1985, envisaging a light-weight multi-mission fighter with contemporary air combat and offensive air support capabilities and excellent manoeuvrability for close air combat at low and medium altitudes.
The projected requirement was for 220 Light Combat Aircraft (200 Fighters, 20 trainers) to be inducted by 1994.
However, LCA could only achieve Initial Operational Clearance in December, 2013, as against the earlier scheduled date of December, 2005.
The Full Operational Clearance (FOC), which was scheduled to be completed by December, 2008, is now slated to be achieved by December this year although experts said even that could be delayed.
The CAG said that ADA’s decision to advance the building of two prototypes from Full-Scale Engineering Development (FSED) Phase-II to FSED Phase-I so as to utilise its savings on the grounds of accelerating the development process of LCA had failed to yield the desired results.
This, the report said, was because preponed prototypes were deficient in terms of critical onboard systems (Multi- Mode Radar, Self-Protection Jammer, Radar Warning Receiver) and led to ADA using the Limited Series Production (LSP) aircraft (meant for IAF use) towards flight testing/evaluation of these critical on board systems.
“This was in contravention of the Cabinet approval (November, 2001) for phased development of the prototypes in FSED Phase-II after Technical Demonstrators had been built and flight tested for 210 hours,” CAG said.
Talking about lack of trainer aircraft, the audit body said that IAF was in the interim using an upgraded Full Mission Simulator (FMS) at ADA for pilot training, pending supply of an FMS by HAL at the LCA operating base.
It said that the long gestation period led to a change of weapon systems on LCA, necessitating the acquisition of new ones.
The audit body also had a word of appreciation for the ADA, saying its work centres on the indigenous development of the LCA, “which is comparable to many contemporary aircraft in the world”.
CAG said that the manufacturing facilities at HAL cater presently to the production of only four aircraft per annum as against the envisaged requirement of eight due to delays in procuring plant and machinery, tools and also construction of production hangars, which would further impact production of LCA and induction into IAF squadrons.
Repair and Overhaul (ROH) facility for LCA, as specified in the ASR, has not been created fully at HAL, the CAG said.
Of the 344 Line Replaceable Units of LCA, 90 LRUs were considered non-repairable, it said. Of the remaining 254 LRUs, while ROH facilities in respect of 185 were available, the same was yet to be established for 69 LRUs as of January this year, the report added.
The CAG stressed on the need for more efficient management of planning and execution of aircraft development programmes, closer interaction and coordinated efforts among all the stakeholders involved.
It recommended that realistic timelines should be set by MoD while seeking approval for such projects from the government and that the same ..
should be adhered to during their execution with coordinated planning and an effective in-built monitoring mechanism.
“In view of the complexity of the technology involved, while deviating from the approved plan of development, ADA should consult the user (Air HQ) and obtain prior approval of sanctioning authority/ministry for such deviations so as to minimise waivers and concessions at the time of acceptance by the user (IAF),” it said.
The agencies — DRDO, ADA and HAL — should undertake the projects strictly in conformity with the specifications projected by IAF, who should be involved right from the planning stage so as to ensure timely achievement of their requirements.
Indigenisation efforts should be made in coordination with all the agencies involved by having a well-defined indigenisation plan and a clear roadmap for developing a quality product as per the requirement so as to avoid import substitution, it said.
“MoD should award contract to production agency at an appropriate stage of development of a system/equipment in order to avoid the necessity of extending delivery schedule due to a delay in the development of the system, apart from the resultant blocking of funds/inventory and to overcome obsolescence of the components procured by the production agency,” the CAG said.
OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT – The Telegraph New Delhi, Sept. 3, 2014: Whether the digester bacteria have called cease work or not isn’t clear but the government’s bio-toilet drive in villages is suddenly looking a bit leaky.
The Odisha government has told the National Human Rights Commission that nine of the 12 bio-digester toilets installed in five villages in Bhadrak district have become defunct, contrary to the Centre’s claims that these toilets don’t need maintenance.
The toilets, developed by defence research organisation DRDO and launched by then rural development minister Jairam Ramesh as part of the Centre’s drive to end open defecation, had been installed in 2012 in two blocks — Dhamara and Basudevpur — all meant for community use.
In a report last month, the state’s rural development department said the Bhadrak district administration had written to the DRDO in July requesting it to repair the toilets — that use bacteria for treating the waste — but has got no response yet.
No one from the DRDO was available for comment.
The report followed a case filed by a lawyer, Radhakanta Tripathy, who complained to the rights panel that the toilets were not helping the common people and the practice of open defecation was continuing as before.
“The people were expecting their miseries would end after the installation of the bio-toilets. These toilets have become defunct and nobody is taking responsibility for their maintenance,” Tripathy said.
The report has come as a “reality check” at a time the Centre is promoting these toilets in a big way as part of its efforts to make India free of open defecation by 2019.
A letter from the ministry of drinking water and sanitation last month to all state secretaries in charge of sanitation said states may be given the option of adopting the DRDO model for safe disposal of human waste. The ministry also sent the names of 39 firms that produce bio-toilets, used mainly by the army in high-altitude areas.
The railways, islands such as Lakshadweep and houseboats also use the technology that involves bacteria converting human waste to odourless compost and biogas. There is no need to replenish the bacteria since they regenerate.
Bindeshwar Pathak, founder of sanitation NGO Sulabh International, said the technology was not foolproof. “The water released from tanks of these bio-digesters is pollutant. The technology should be further developed.”
But Rail Tech, one of the firms mentioned in the government letter, defended the technology. “The technology is working perfectly in trains and army camps in high-altitude areas. There is no reason why they cannot work in the plains,” Rail Tech director Kunal Jain said.
He said the problem lay with the user. “If foreign materials are dropped into the drainage system of the toilets, they will stop working.”
By: Express News Service | New Delhi | Updated: April 30, 2015 9:23 am
To ensure speedy conclusion of corruption cases, a time limit of two years has also been proposed. (Source: Express Archive)
In an attempt to give the anti-corruption law more teeth, the Cabinet Wednesday cleared a proposal to move official amendments to the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Bill, 2013, paving the way for enhancement of both the minimum and the maximum punishment under the proposed law.
Under the amendments, the penal provisions have been substantially enhanced — the minimum punishment being raised from six months to three years imprisonment and the maximum punishment enhanced from five years to seven years imprisonment.
With the maximum punishment raised to seven years in jail, corruption now has been brought under the heinous crime category.
The amendments also propose to extend the protective umbrella of prior sanction for prosecution to public servants who have ceased to hold office due to retirement or resignation. “Further, prior sanction for inquiry and investigation shall be required from the Lokpal or Lokayukta, as the case may be, for investigation of offences relatable to recommendations made or decision taken by a public servant in discharge of official functions or duties,” the government said.
Essentially aimed at laying down more stringent measures to tackle corruption, the proposed amendments provide for more stringent punishment for the offences of bribery, both for the bribe-giver and the bribe-taker.
With the average trial period of cases under the PC Act in the last four years having been above eight years, the new amendments have proposed to ensure speedy trial by providing a trial completion within two years.
The new amendments further state that “intentional enriching by public servants will be construed as criminal misconduct and possession of disproportionate assets as proof of such illicit enrichment”.
To Date – 9th April 2015 Shri Syed Ekram Rizwi, Director & Central Public Information Officer, Prime Minister’s Office, South Block, New Delhi – 110011
Hello,
Kindly provide me with the following information requested under the purview of the Right to Information Act, 2005 in respect of DRDO. It is observed that DRDO RTI cell is not providing any information in spite of providing corruption evidences.
Dr Tamilmani, DG(Aero), DRDO was used Rustom II project vehicle Toyota Innova bearing No # 14B 113597Y. The vehicle was procured for Project Rustom in the name of Remote Video Terminal Vehicle. Vide letter No DRDO/02/333/P/2/Vol-II-394/D/R&D date 23/02/2011.
After complaint to Hon Prime Minister on dated 26th February 2015, the vehicle returned to project premises ADE, Bangalore.
GTRE, Bangalore purchased two Toyota Innova vehicle against project one vehicle is using by Director, GTRE, Dr.CP Ramanarayanan, surprisingly the another Toyota Innova vehicle bearing no ↑15B 115897Y was provided on 11th March 2015 by GTRE, Bangalore to Dr Tamilmani, DG (Aero) against his demand dated 10th March 2015
Provide the sanction letter of DHRD with financial concurrence of Ministry of Finance for purchasing two Toyota Innova vehicles by GTRE, Bangalore.
As per DRDO transport policy the project vehicles should use dedicatedly for project work, provide the DRDO hqrs approval for transfer the vehicle to Dr Tamilmani.
If Director, GTRE not obtained the permission for transferring the vehicle then provide the DRDO provisions for mishandling the project property without prior approval.
Copy of letter of DG (Aero)/Sectt/TSO/1/018 dated 10 March 2015 addressed to Director, GTRE for transfer the vehicle.
Note: The matter is related with corruption allegation that misuse of government funds and mislead to government. The return of vehicle itself proves that DRDO officials are openly wasted the public funds for their enjoyment.
Enclosed: Photograph of Rustom II project vehicle Toyota Innova bearing No ↑ 14B 113597Y with Brass Plate DG(Aero)
by Pranav Kulkarni | New Delhi | Published on:April 1, 2015 1:49 am – The Indian Express
Two months after it sacked Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) chief Avinash Chander, the government has denied extension to a top DRDO scientist. Bikash Bhattacharya, who was on his first extension as the director of Pune-based High Energy Materials Research Laboratory (HEMRL), retired Tuesday. Besides him, the government in the past six months has denied extension to at least three top DRDO scientists.
While Chander was sacked unceremoniously citing the need for appointing younger scientists, the Modi government has on several platforms made public its intentions to streamline DRDO.
Sources in DRDO said the HEMRL director’s extension was recommended by Chander and was considered by the Appointments Committee of Cabinet (ACC). It was, however, rejected by the government “about 10 days ago”. Bhattacharya was formerly associated with ISRO.
Bhattacharya, 62, who took over as director, HEMRL on September 11, 2011 was already on one extension after he completed 60 years on March 23, 2013. As per DRDO’s existing promotion policy, two extensions are permitted for a tenure of two years after the scientist completes 60 years, the retirement age.
Bhattacharya is the fourth scientist to have been denied extension by the Modi government in the past six months. Others who were denied extension are directors of Defence Research & Development Establishment (DRDE), Defence Bioengineering and Electromedical Laboratory (DEBEL) and Electronics & Radar Development Establishment (LRDE) — M P Kaushik, V C Padaki and Venkatnarayana Raju, respectively.
The denial of extensions by the Modi government has reversed the trend of the UPA government which was criticised for making extensions a “norm” instead of an “exception”. In 2012 for instance, 11 top scientists were on extension at various laboratories across the country.
By Rajesh Ramachandran, ET Bureau | 24 Mar, 2015, 10.20AM IST
By categorising and sub-categorising themes and departments, the new portal will help users to be more specific in their complaints.
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch a brand new website for public grievances on Wednesday. Corruption in central government seems to be the top concern as the PMO replaces the existing public web-interface for the prime minister with ‘PRAGATI’, the new portal. The portal is getting launched along with the PM’s monthly programme of interaction with union secretaries and chief secretaries through video-conferencing.
While the Manmohan Singh-era public grievances portal, “PMO CPGRAMS”, had a category on “corruption/malpractice”, the new one will go beyond the simple label. The corruption category will have nine sub-categories on its drop-down menu just to register complaints of corruption within various government departments.
The departments listed under the category of corruption are telecom, railways, department of financial services, ministry of power, petroleum, heavy industries, urban development, road transport, rural development and others. This could even be treated as a list of departments with the highest potential for corruption.
By categorising and sub-categorising themes and departments, the new portal will help users to be more specific in their complaints.
For instance, harassment is further sub-categorised into minorities, SC/ST, backward class, women, children, differently-abled and others. Also, the theme ‘police’ would have separate sub-categories for corruption, atrocities and inaction of police along with reguregular policing issues like murder and rape.
The new architecture has the back-end bureaucratic and technological support to ensure that these grievances are addressed and pursued to their logical conclusion.
All the issues flagged by the PMO will be uploaded a week ahead of the “PRAGATI day”, which will be the third Wednesday of every month. Union secretaries and chief secretaries will have to offer their comments and updates about the issues by the Monday prior to the PRAGATI day.
Finally, the PM will get to look at the issues addressed by the relevant departments and then discuss them with the concerned secretary or the chief secretary through video conferencing on the third Wednesday of every month. PM’s directions on every issue will remain in the system for further follow up and review till the issue is closed.
The portal is thus designed to keep every complainant engaged with the government machinery at the highest level and to ensure systemic corrections through the redressal of the complaints.
Hon’ble Shri Manohar Parrikar, Defence Minister, Room No -104, South Block, New Delhi-110011
SUBJECT: Regarding 25 questions asked by government for improving DRDO.
Sir,
Government is putting his whole heartedly efforts to improve the DRDO in the interest of defence preparedness and properly utilization of govt. fund as well as the turning DRDO in delivering mode. Government floated 25 questions to understand the DRDO problems that why after spending so huge amount not able to deliver single 100% indigenous system.
Unfortunately, government is seeking answer from those who are the responsible for gutted DRDO in this stage. How can they accept their incompetency, they are not so generous because they were not even take seriously KARGIL WAR failures. The Gen Malik openly told the country “We had one or two incidents particularly on the weapon-locating radar. If the DRDO had not come in the way we would have got them before the Kargil war and that would have definitely reduced our casualties,” he told Karan Thapar on Devil’s Advocate programme on CNN-IBN.
One question out of 25 questiosn is – What DRDO is doing to make quality scientific manpower pool larger than what is available, to make it much more competent and qualitative, and what kind of facilities and infrastructure DRDO provide to scientific community including their pay, facilities and other things? – Action CC R&D (HR)
I don’t know what DRDO submitted against this question but yesterday I have received a good real analytical input from one of DRDO establishment ACEM, Nashik. Which can an eye opener for Ministry of Defence to see the real cause of DRDO failure?
Although the received letter is not having sign but as per sources all information are true and it can be verified by not from GM but from each and every officials/ employees of ACEM.
It is requested that listen the voice of young scientists although they are serving for their livelihood but same time want to contribute to nation with their full knowledge and ability but unfortunately DRDO management is rotten that the young scientists simply wasting their energy and time.
With hope our great IITan Shri Parrikar ji will this issue with honest and eligible scientists and use the scientific potential in right direction.
Regards
Prabhu Dandriyal 21-Sunderwala, Raipur, DehradunPh 0135 2787750, Mobile 9411114879,
They are working to ensure that the UPA’s efforts to water down the impact of the RTI Act get revived rather than rolled back.
MADHAV NALAPAT New Delhi | 7th Mar 2015
Senior officials say that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called for a review by the Cabinet Secretariat of the indiscriminate way in which documents have been classified as secret. The intention behind the exercise is “to ensure greater transparency in the functioning of government offices, in order to promote disclosure and probity”. Although as yet the Modi government has succeeded in bringing to justice only a small handful of corrupt officials during the UPA period, the rest of the tainted flock are nervous at a possible intensification of Prime Minister Modi’s quest for transparency and accountability. They are therefore working to ensure that the opaque governance system that is a relic of the British colonial era, continues into the foreseeable future. In particular, they are working to ensure through appropriate notings and interventions that the 2011-13 efforts by the Manmohan Singh government to water down the impact of the Right to Information Act get revived rather than rolled back.
Acting on the overall directions of the Prime Minister, units of the Delhi police have uncovered several “corporate espionage rings” operating within key economic and other ministries. Senior officials in sync with PM Modi’s desire for clean and transparent government say that relevant agencies have since 2011 had knowledge of these networks, but that the corporate spies were allowed to continue unimpeded “because of protection from the highest political quarters”. Interestingly, some of these espionage networks ensured the flow (to selected media channels) of information stolen from ministry files, so as to generate negative (albeit factual) stories about rival groups and hostile individuals, including senior officials as well as ministers. Some of the rings “functioned also as the private detective agencies of friendly officials and politicians, securing for them dirt on their opponents, which could be leaked to friendly journalists or used for purposes of blackmail”.
For the media, accuracy and public interest trump the motivation of sources in revealing information, hence their case for publishing material stolen from government files by corporate espionage networks. Interestingly, police and other agencies have yet to question more than a third of the individuals known (from preliminary investigations) to have guided such spy rings, or who regularly accessed information gathered by them. However, an official said that these individuals have not been excused, but will be questioned later, after the huge volume of information secured during the raids gets processed by the police. Interestingly, an official privy to the documents said that “more than three-fourths of them should not have been classified as secret”. According to him, such documents ought to have been placed on the websites of the concerned ministries, and that to do so would have been in the public interest.
“Keeping information secret, which ought to have been in the public domain, ensures that bribes get paid to reveal such data, and also serves to protect corrupt officials”, a senior official warned, adding that “more than 90% of classified information is such as to serve the public interest better by disclosure rather than by secrecy”. A senior official said that specific measures to increase transparency have been suggested, which include:
(a) the placing of draft bills intended for introduction in Parliament on ministry websites, in order to generate the views of civil society on such prospective legislation;
(b) televising or live streaming of the discussions held by Parliamentary committees on important issues and the placing of minutes of proceedings in the public domain;
(c) placing on relevant official websites all decisions of the Union Cabinet as well as the notes relied upon in the taking of such decisions;
(d) making public the assets of officials, and making them fill out a declaration of assets each year for themselves and their family members, with penalties for non-disclosure. In particular, several officials claim that their offspring win scholarships to expensive international institutions of higher learning. Full details of how costs of stay and study abroad of dependents of decision-makers are being met would assist in accountability, officials unhappy at the non-disclosure of such information say;
(e) making public via ministry websites the file movements both within each ministry as well as between ministries, so as to keep a check on inefficiency or possible collateral motives;
(f) placing information given in public tenders on relevant websites, after technical and financial bids have been opened, so as to keep a check on possible scams based on “fixing” of criteria;
(g) strengthening the ambit of the Right to Information Act and set mandatory punishments for ignoring timelines for the handing over of information, as well as ensure that only those committed to transparency would be considered for the posts of Information Commissioners.
Senior officials say that except for a coterie of corrupt officials and their accessories, others in the government would welcome greater transparency. Owing to the widespread prevalence of graft in India, disclosure of information has much less of a downside than a continuation of the British colonial era fetish of official secrecy, one of the many features of colonial rule embraced in totality by Jawaharlal Nehru and his successors. These officials say that they are hopeful that Prime Minister Modi will succeed in his mission of ensuring transparent government. They would also like the Cabinet Secretariat to initiate workshops and courses on “open government” for officials at all levels, so as to rid them of the cult of secrecy and a mistrust in the good sense of the general public, both of which are holdovers from the British colonial era, but which still remain embedded within the governance system in India. “Prime Minister Modi can rely on the ‘honest majority’ of officials to ensure that he succeeds in his efforts at bringing the governance system in India on par with those in other major democracies, rather than resemble those of authoritarian states,” according to a senior official.
Comments –
Prabhu Dandriyal • 4 minutes ago
Dear Friends, I have received RTI reply from PMO, South block, New Delhi in respect of my online RTI request in respect of PMO website regarding Interact with Honorable Prime Minister of India. It is observed that when citizen of India submitted some feedback, suggestions to improve system or information regarding misuse of fund & power by authorities, PMO officials are taking these inputs as personal grievances of individuals rather than taking inputs in national interest. The PMO officials forwarding that information directly send to concern organizations without concealing the name of individuals, it may be affect the carrier of individual or authorities can target to harass the individual.
No doubt Modi ji intention is clean the corruption from government but Modi Ji failed to give an exemplary punishment to any officials for his act of corruption and the result was the failure in Delhi election.
Common man only believes in instant results and therefore people and intellectuals are sending n number corruption inputs but no action is reflected in day by day governance of Modi ji.
Another major massage received by these corrupt officers that new NDA government is also manageable by the decision of Dr V K Saraswat appointment in Niti Ayog, He is well known corrupt person in MoD, this on the basis of RTIreply from MoD that vigilance cases are pending against him, IB was not given clearance when he tried for post of PSA in UPA era. UPA honest Defence minister approved CBI inquiry against him, he also ordered special audit by CGDA and plenty of anonymous letter are lying with material facts with NSA/IB/Min of Defence but Modi ji not aware about this, only God knows
Concard • 5 hours ago
The biggest threat to the country is the corrupt Bureaucrats who have been nurtured by Congress and their cronies for decades. All the scams have the imprint of bureaucrats, without them scams can’t take place smoothly. Modi should reign in our bureaucracy which has already got the distinction of being one of the most corrupt in the world. If it wasn’t for honest bureaucrat like Vinod Rai, we would have never known about corrupt dumb impotent Manmohan who let the coal scam happen while washing the toilets of Sonia Gandhi.
Jitendra Desai • 3 hours ago
Good move.But this government needs to sack, punish, transfer more crooks out of Delhi to make it a descent place to work and govern. Many in the babudom are there simply to stop or at best delay the work for personal gains. Delhi of Congress rule has been resembling Delhi of Mogul era. So full of deceit, intrigue and palace politics with no concern for the people at large.Government is moving in the right direction by shifting the focus of activities to the states. If this continues for some time, the sources of funding may dry up for the good. GOD SPEED to all these!
ashok759 • 11 hours ago
I don’t watch TV much, but I think instances of editors waving sheaves of classified documents, the more sensitive portions suitably highlighted, are now a thing of the past. It had started looking like a fish market when CWG was at its peak.
The first of the LCAs was handed over to IAF 32 years after the project started.
ABHINANDAN MISHRA New Delhi | 7th Mar 2015
Vital defence projects that have been taken up by the country’s premier Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) over the last several years, do not show any signs of completion despite thousands of crores of taxpayers’ money spent on them.
Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, while detailing the nine major DRDO projects that have not been able to meet their deadlines, stated in Parliament that Rs 16,708 crore have been spent on these projects that were scheduled to be completed years ago.
Some of these projects, such as the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), Tejas, Phase II, which was expected to be completed by December 2008, has now been pushed to the end of this month. The government had sanctioned Rs 5,777 crore for this project. The first of the LCAs, which was conceived in 1983, was handed over to the Indian Air Force (IAF) in January this year by Parrikar, 32 years after the project started.
Similarly, the probable date of completion of the Naval Light Combat Aircraft (LCA, Navy) Phase I, which was expected to be completed by March 2010, is under revision. One of the reasons submitted by the Defence Minister for the delay is that “technology challenges have been significantly higher than originally anticipated”. The sanctioned cost of this project is Rs 1,714.98 crore
The probable date of completion of another much talked about project, Aero Engine Kaveri, which was supposed to be completed by December 1996, is also under revision. Sources within DRDO claim that the project, for which the government had sanctioned Rs 2,839 crore, is likely to be shelved
The Air Borne Early Warning & Control (AEW&C) System, for which the government has sanctioned Rs 2,275 crore, is running four years behind the probable date of completion. It was supposed to be handed over to the IAF in October 2011. This has now been postponed to December 2015.
Another crucial project, Long Range Surface-to-Air Missile (LR-SAM), which was allotted Rs 2,606.02 crore is also running four years behind its completion date. It was supposed to be completed by May 2011, but the DRDO has now promised to finish it by December 2015.
The helicopter version third generation anti tank guided missile, whose promised date of completion was December 2010, is now expected to be completed by January 2018. Air-to-air missile Astra too is running four years behind its scheduled date of completion and is expected to be ready by December 2016.
The project on the dual colour missile approach warning system for fighter aircraft and advanced lightweight torpedo, which were to be completed by the DRDO in 2013, are now likely to be executed by the latter part of 2015. For the financial year 2013-14, a total of Rs 10,610.17 crore was allocated to DRDO, of which Rs 5,552.57 crore was in revenue and Rs 5,057.60 crore was in capital.
A senior official with the DRDO stated that the “culture” of promoting scientists who are unable to complete their projects on time, instead of reprimanding them is a big factor behind the delays that have become synonymous with DRDO.
“The practice of seeking extensions for a project, one after another, has been condoned by successive Defence Ministers. Why would a scientist want to complete his project on time if he knows that even if he does not complete it on time, the project will be extended and he will continue to work on the same project? Scientists who retire are given extensions because they have been working on a project, so they would naturally want the project to go on and on,” the official stated.
According to Parrikar, the government has taken many corrective measures to complete the ongoing projects on time like three-tier project monitoring and constituting a Project Monitoring Review Committee (PMRC). However, DRDO officials claimed that he was only repeating what has been said by Defence Ministers who came before him.
“Consortium approach, three-tier project monitoring approach, Project Monitoring Review Committee (PMRC) and Project Appraisal and Review Committee (PARC) have been there in the DRDO for the last 10-15 years. There is no new remedy which Parrikar has tried to suggest,” the official claimed.
Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, while detailing the delay in nine major DRDO projects vide Parliament question No 789 by Hon MP Nishikant Dubey from BJP and answered on 27 Feb 2015. As Per annexure ‘A; serial No 3 Aero Engine Kaveri, DRDo answer was technical bla bla the real delay reason the incompetent, corrupt, immoral scientist led the project.
Mr. T Mohan Rao, Director GTRE who was picked up by the Karnataka police during a raid on a high-end spa cum-massage parlour in Jaya-mahal on 11th May 2011 at 11 PM with the Mr V N Narayan, Agent Israeli firm ILN Technologies Inc.
T Mohana Rao is Director of the Gas Turbine Research institute (GTRE), a DRDO wing involved in the manufacture of Kaveri, India’s first indigenous jet engine for LCA Tejas. According to the police, Mohana Rao had claimed at the time of the arrest, “I have come to fix an appointment for
my wife for tomorrow.” Mohana Rao also allegedly lied to the police that he was a consultant with aeronautics space research and was a resident of Vimanapura in HAL. In 2008, Mohana
Rao and the GTRE team were awarded the Dr V M Ghatge national award for his outstanding contribution in the field of aerospace technology. Mohana Rao is also chairperson of the Bangalore branch of Aeronautical Society of India and the Chairperson of the township advisory committee of C V Raman Nagar, where most DRDO personnel live.
This is the tip of Ice the berg, Sh Avinash Chander down fall because of his immoral act to made Ms Tessy Thamos firstly Distinguished scientist ignoring lot of deserving scientists and after that made him Director, ASL again ignoring deserve candidates and finally made her husband CMDR S K Patel incompetent man recruited and appointed as director QRS violated all norms.
These types of cases are real reasons of
delaying in DRDO mission oriented projects.
