Military gets spl powers to expedite weapon purchases of up to ~300 cr

NEWDELHI: Amid border tensions with China in Ladakh, the government on Wednesday authorised the armed forces to process cases for buying urgentlyneeded weapons, ammunition and equipment worth up to ~ 300 crore to meet their critical operational requirements, a defence ministry spokesperson said.

The step has been taken to cut delays in the acquisition process. “This [delegation of powers to the armed forces] will shrink the procurement timelines and ensure placement of orders within six months and commencement of deliveries within one year,” the ministry said in a statement.

The decision was taken at a special meeting of the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC). Headed by defence minister Rajnath Singh, DAC is the ministry’s apex procurement body.

The ministry said the special meeting was convened “considering the security environment due to the prevailing situation along the northern borders and the need to strengthen the armed forces for the defence of our borders”. The government is fasttracking key purchases to plug gaps in the military’s capabilities. DAC on July 2 approved the purchase of weapons and ammunition worth ~38,900 crore. The purchases cleared included 33 new fighter jets for the Indian Air Force, which is grappling with a shortage of warplanes.

The cost of military hardware cleared for purchase on July 2 from the domestic industry is pegged at ~31,130 crore and the orders are expected to give a push to Prime Minister Modi’s Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan.