Govt takes money back, Army grapples for arms

[sudhir007]

Govt takes money back, Army grapples for arms | idrw.org

Indian Army’s modernisation plan for current fiscal has been seriously hit with Finance Ministry re-appropriating Rs 3,000 crore ostensibly on account of delayed spending last month and the force left with only Rs 950 crore to spend for its 106 plan proposals.

Non-availability of funds has resulted in Army’s critical modernisation proposals being shelved this year. This includes procurement of ultra light howitzers for artillery, replacements in the helicopter fleet, raising of a Pinaka multi-barrel rocket regiment, component level repair facility for T-90 tanks and equipment for special forces. Besides there is a serious shortage of armour piercing shells for tanks and artillery.

Defence Ministry sources said out of a total allocation of some Rs 10,000 crore as modernisation budget 2011-2012 for the Indian Army, Rs 4,000 crore was spent by the military towards committed liabilities. Out of the remaining amount, Rs 2,000 crore was given to Director General, Ordnance Factories.

While top ministry officials said that 66% of the defence budget had been spent by December 2011, they confirmed that Finance Ministry had taken away Rs 3000 crore from Army’s modernisation budget last month as the military acquisition process was slow.

However, Army says that only Rs 320 crore has been spent on 106 proposals that were submitted the Defence Ministry for military modernisation plan at the beginning of the fiscal. “What modernisation we can do with only Rs 950 crore left for a million-strong force,” said a senior official from the headquarters.

Although the Army blames the Finance Ministry for re-appropriating Rs 3,000 crore, the latter says the money was taken back as there was no way the military could have spend it this year due to delayed decision making.

 

[Birbal]

I can understand the Finance Ministry's position. The army has been quite slow in spending its money, so the money should be re-allocated next year.

 

[IndoUS]

Well, we can't just the blame the army for being slow the government is also at fault since even if the army tests and selects it the government has to approve it. Of all the branch the army seems to be slowest in the modernizing effort.

 

[anup]

Bad news..Indian Army need to work fast

 

[angeldemon_007]

I can understand the Finance Ministry's position. The army has been quite slow in spending its money, so the money should be re-allocated next year.

You understood finance ministry's problem but you didn't understood IA's problem. Unless MOD and CCS gives green signal to a deal, nothing is gonna happen. The deals mentioned above like LUH (trial report submitted in 2010) and M777 should have been approved by MOD and CCS because IA has already shown its interest. I just don't get what the **** is going on in MOD ? Javelin ATGM deal if not signed is again MOD and CCS failure.
Raising of a Pinaka multi-barrel rocket regiment and component level repair facility for T-90 tanks also just needed MOD and CCS clearance.

So stop blaming IA. Its true IA is delaying many trials but MOD and CCS already have backlogs, they should first clear them. Finance ministry is also responsible because they are also part of CCS.

 

[SamantK]

Yes but it can'tbe helped now, please tell me how much will you spend in one months time... FM has its task also at hand... understand that this time the utilization for acquisitions have been close to 70% much higher compared to the years before... So we will get there slowly.. But in India u just can't wake up one day and start running

 

[God of Death]

Antony the useless, lazy, uncaring

 

[Lone Shooter]

Dont get me wrong but I think Indian army is already one of the most modernized army in the region vis-a-vis its size and its economy. A little rescheduling shouldn’t create alarm.

 

[SamantK]

Dont get me wrong but I think Indian army is already one of the most modernized army in the region vis-a-vis its size and its economy. A little rescheduling shouldn’t create alarm.

Hi defer in your analysis, India had started modernising its army recently, which was long due, our govt is inefficient and bogged by red tape. Why can't it spend the allocated amount is a big sign of our inefficiency!

 

[God of Death]

Dont get me wrong but I think Indian army is already one of the most modernized army in the region vis-a-vis its size and its economy. A little rescheduling shouldn’t create alarm.

Really???????

Do you know that we have not inducted a single new howitzer for the last 25 years

Army is facing huge problems with obsolete systems

On top of it we have to be ready to face 2 front war

And if you apply some common seance you will understand that if govt. approves the purchase of some system now in this very day. It will take 3 year in manufacturing + 3-4 years in the complete induction in good numbers + 4-5 years to master that system.

That means it will take 14-15 years from this day of 22nd Feb 2012 and you are saying its not to be panic.

And our last army chief have said it will take 17-18 years to be fully battle ready because of decades of neglect.

 

[Federer]

Maybe some Disputes regarding the Cuts among the Army and MOD.

 

[T90TankGuy]

the fact is that the army has not got its act together as compared to the navy and the air force . they have gone ahead by leaps and bound in terms of modernization . the are able to clear their procurements in time , so why cant the army?

 

[Lone Shooter]

Really???????

Do you know that we have not inducted a single new howitzer for the last 25 years

Army is facing huge problems with obsolete systems

On top of it we have to be ready to face 2 front war

And if you apply some common seance you will understand that if govt. approves the purchase of some system now in this very day. It will take 3 year in manufacturing + 3-4 years in the complete induction in good numbers + 4-5 years to master that system.

That means it will take 14-15 years from this day of 22nd Feb 2012 and you are saying its not to be panic.

And our last army chief have said it will take 17-18 years to be fully battle ready because of decades of neglect.

Well to start with I must confess I had to google to verify some of the claims made by you. And it seems Lords of Google concur with your claims of Howitzers being of older versions.

The point I was trying to make was, that apparently there isn’t a war looming in the horizon in near future (I like to make such predictions being a optimistic). Even if isn’t the way as I want it to be, and some unfortunate war does come knocking on the doors, there is a difference in being a state of the art army and an obsolete one. I am sure if you don’t fall in the former, you are definitely not the later as well.

But I am sure you guys being more concerned on the subject have all the rights to be upset.

 

[sherindian]

army need to be moderanised as soon as possible. can anyone tell me if india has any howitzer and riffle development program with drdo or something? i have never heard of any. we r in serious need of those. and also F-INSAS should be implemented as soon as possible.

 

[Jon Snow]

There should be re allocation of funds at this years budget - so the army should get its money back by march.