New Delhi: Ad-hocism in Defence planning
process will have an "adverse impact" on India`s Armed Forces
modernisation, warns a Parliamentary panel, which also said
achievement of self-reliance in military equipment was a
"distant dream".
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence in its
report tabled in Parliament today also lamented that there was
a shortage of 1,86,138 Bullet-proof Jackets (BPJs) in the
defence forces warning it was "risking" the life of soldiers.
Government should try to procure light-weight BPJs from
Indian or international markets through fast-track procedures,
it said.
The Committee headed by Satpal Maharaj (Congress) also
expressed concern over the inability of the Ministry to
utilise the outlay provided for capital expenditure-- meant
especially for the modernisation of the armed forces.
It said questions were being raised about the effective
surveillance on the coastal areas and the challenge was to
provide "adequate infrastructure and force level for the
coastal surveillance."
Taking note of the shortage of ships and submarines in
the Navy, the Committee said: "All efforts should be made to
expedite the acquisition and construction of ships and
submarines so that the existing fleet levels do not fall below
the minimum required level."
On the shortage of officers in the armed forces, the
Committee felt "an urgent need to undertake survey to find out
the inhibitions of the youth to join the armed forces."
Observing that the Mumbai terror attack had given an
entirely new dimension to security scenario and defence
preparedness, the panel expressed concern over the declining
share of defence as percentage of national GDP and government
expenditure.
PTI
