Will China threat last beyond 2 yrs? Finance stalls military expansion

[1nd1a]

The second phase of the government’s ambitious military expansion plan — worth Rs 65,000 crore — has run into rough weather. The finance ministry has red-flagged the plan with detailed queries and sent it back to the defence ministry with a bizarre question: will the Chinese threat last more than two years?

While responses have been prepared explaining the impossibility of ascribing a time period to the threat or even speculating on what the situation will be two years from now, sources said, the political understanding is that the finance ministry is probably not keen to clear such a high-cost plan this financial year.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had given in-principle clearance last year to a five-year expansion plan, which involves fresh accretion of 89,000 troops with 400 officers — one of India’s biggest one-time military expansion efforts.

The plan includes setting up a new strike corps in Panagarh, West Bengal, along with two more divisions. An independent armoured brigade along with an artillery division will be part of the set-up. These plans were fast tracked after the Army conveyed to the PM that according to available intelligence, China has been rehearsing military action during a limited local offensive.

It was in this context that the proposal for a new mountain strike corps, pending for over a year with the defence ministry, suddenly acquired momentum with the PMO promptly clearing it.

Sources said the finance ministry has also blocked the second stage of expansion of India’s first Navy-only bases, INS Kadamba in Karwar along the Karnataka coast. This Rs 13,000-crore plan involves creating more than a dozen piers and more berths which will host, among other ships, India’s next aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya, better known as Admiral Gorshkov, which is now being refurbished in Russia.

Will China threat last beyond 2 yrs? Finance stalls military expansion | idrw.org


Finance minister is a nuts. How cares about China, In future if we have to save our self its now when we have to invest. This is to become a regional power not to dominate any country but to keep a balance in the region. This will ensure that our neighbors will not bully us.

 

[Indian_Gem]

Finance minister is a nuts. How cares about China, In future if we have to save our self its now when we have to invest. This is to become a regional power not to dominate any country but to keep a balance in the region. This will ensure that our neighbors will not bully us.

I agree with you!!! we should not be bothered about China. We should be thinking about future requirements and we have to be prepared.

 

[Bl[i]tZ]

Hope is not a policy Mr. Finance Minster.

Lets hope for the best and prepare for the worst.

 

[navtrek]

will the Chinese threat last more than two years?

Some time such stupid questions make me wonder is our country in the right hands ? Secondly why & How dose such news reach the press ?

 

[rickey121]

Finance minister is a nuts. Lets hope for the best and prepare for the worst

 

[Adnan Faruqi]

We need to replace OLD people like pranab mukherjee and Manmohan singh at the earliest.

These fools always cuts defense spending at any given point of time.

politicians and babus have allowed china to bully us as they have neglected defence for decades, now we have to spend more that too in short time to fill that huge gap.

If they have not neglected defense and contributed small portion in up-gradation and modernization we are not bullied by china like this.