New Delhi: With the delivery of the Scorpene
submarines getting delayed, the government has sanctioned an
additional amount of Rs 4,764 crore for the project, the Rajya
Sabha was informed Wednesday.
"The last (of the six) submarine will be delivered in the
second half of 2018. Government has recently sanctioned an
additional amount of Rs 4764 crore for the project," Defence
Minister A K Antony said in reply to a written query.
India had signed a Rs 18,798 crore deal with France in
2004 for six diesel electric submarines to be constructed at
an Indian shipyard and the first submarine is expected to be
completed by the Mazagon Dockyards Limited in Mumbai by 2012.
The minister said the delay in delivery of the submarines
was due to initial teething problems, absorption of technology
and augmentation of the MDL infrastructure and procurement of
MDL-procured materials.
Antony said the defence shipyard has put in place various
plans to obviate any further delay.
On another query on the artillery ammunition, the Defence
minister said the Krasnopol ammunition was procured from
Russia in two batches in 1999 and 2002.
"The 1999 ammunition is serviceable and fit for firing
during training and operations after repairs by the Original
Equipment Manufacturer. The 2002 ammunition is under quality
claim repairs by the OEM," he said.
PTI
