Three months on, defence review panel on deathbed

NEW DELHI: A high-powered committee constituted three months ago by the defence ministry to review capital programmes worth at least ~500 crore, in order to expedite critical military projects, is likely to be scrapped, according to four people familiar with the development who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

The government on July 23 issued orders for constituting an 11-member committee under former bureaucrat Vinay Sheel Oberoi to systematically review critical projects under execution by the defence ministry for their “timely completion in a cost-optimal manner.”

The panel, which was supposed to submit its preliminary status report by August 31, and a follow-up report by October 30, has not even met once, said one of the officials cited above. Its term ends in February 2019.

“For all practical purposes, the panel is history now,” said an official, although the committee members have been given no further instructions after the July 23 letter.

Hindustan Times accessed the letter (No. IDS/PPFD/ PPFS/Monitoring/ 22109/ CPRC) by Rear Admiral Kapil Mohan Dhir of the Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff (IDS), which is a singlepoint organisation for jointmanship in the ministry that integrates policy, doctrine, war fighting and military purchases.

“Timely completion of critical design and development, research and development, and other capital projects is a highpriority area for the ministry to achieve the desired operational preparedness and to effectively contribute to Make in India and Skill India programmes,” reads the letter, adding that the Raksha Mantri (defence minister) has approved the constitution of a capital projects review committee with 11 members and two special invitees.

While the letter clearly states that Oberoi is the chairman of the review committee, the former bureaucrat who was the higher education secretary, said he was not heading the panel.

“I never was. You better ask them [the defence ministry]. I have been out of the country,” he said on Wednesday when asked why the committee had not met yet.

Oberoi was higher education secretary in July when a political controversy broke out over the ‘Institute of Excellence’ status being conferred to the proposed Jio Institute of Reliance Foundation.

THE GOVERNMENT ON JULY 23 ISSUED ORDERS FOR CONSTITUTING AN 11MEMBER COMMITTEE TO REVIEW CRITICAL DEFENCE MINISTRY PROJECTS UNDER EXECUTION