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Govt changes defence procurement policy
Police must enforce anti-rape law strictly, says Preneet
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NDA asks JPC members to reject report
JPC draft report for more powers to TRAI
Royal trains a burden, says Bansal
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Govt changes defence procurement policy
New Delhi, April 20 The maintenance, repair and overhaul of key equipment has now been allowed to the private sector, removing the monopoly of the lackadaisical public sector undertaking. The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) headed by Defence Minister AK Antony today met and tweaked the Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP). Antony, who has often spoken about having self-sufficiency in defence production, today laid down fresh set procedures that will make the ‘made in India’ stamp the first choice while ‘buying globally’ will now be the last among five options. New Delhi is the top-most global arms importer. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), in its report ‘Trends in International Arms Transfers-2012’ released on March 18 said: “India accounted for 12 per cent of all global arms transfers between 2008-2012. China was second accounting for 6 per cent of all global arms sales”. “The only way forward is rapid indigenisation with both the public and the private sectors playing pivotal roles,” Antony told the DAC, the apex decision making body of the Ministry of Defence (MoD). The key amendment is the introduction of ‘preferred order’ of categories under which acquisitions can be made. This will in order of preference will be: Buy Indian; Buy and then make in India; Make in India; Buy and then Make with transfer of technology; and lastly, Buy globally.” Any proposal to select a particular category must now state reasons for excluding the higher preferred category/ categories,” MoD spokesperson Sitanshu Kar said. This will include products produced by private industry in India. For the first time private companies in India will be provided a restricted version of the 15-year perspective plan document outlining the “Technology perspective and capability roadmap” for the period 2012-2027. This will guide local industry in setting up infrastructural capabilities and directing technology investments. Public sector undertakings, which had a monopoly over maintenance, repairs and overhaul of equipment will no more enjoy this. Private players have been allowed. The DAC also approved a system by which consultations on long-term acquisition plans can be done in advance so that it can be a national defence R&D and production plan rather than just buying off the shelf from a foreign country. Procedures have been changed to simplify processes. All purchases will now have a clear definition of indigenous content providing requisite clarity and a common understanding. Projects that will be under the categories of ‘’Make in India” and “Buy and then make in India” will be on priority and will see speedier decision-making from the MoD. Addressing a key concern of the domestic industry, the DAC has agreed to change the ‘security guidelines’ in place that hinder licenced defence equipment makers. For this the ‘Draft Security Guidelines’ have been circulated for consultations and this will lay down a framework for Indian private industries. The MoD has separately taken up with the Finance Ministry the issue of providing of tax-breaks for private industry. The MoD wants to rope in more medium and small-scale industry into manufacturing. For this the SIDBI has decided to earmark an amount of Rs 500 crore for providing loans, and further, a fund of Rs 50 crore for equity support out of “India Opportunities Fund” managed by its subsidiary, namely, SIDBI Venture Capital Ltd.
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Police must enforce anti-rape law strictly, says Preneet
Patiala, April 20 On measures being adopted by the Central government to check such incidents, especially after the Delhi gang-rape case, the minister said a strict law had been put in place to deal with brutality against women. “Various departments, especially the police, will have to implement the laws in totality,” she added. The minister further said it would be unfair to pinpoint New Delhi as similar incidents were happening in almost all parts of the country. “Anything that happens in New Delhi catches the attention immediately as it is the National Capital. Many such cases don’t get highlighted elsewhere. A month ago, a girl was raped by her neighbour at a Patran village but the police has registered a case now,” she said while hitting at the SAD-BJP government for failing to ensure safety of women in Punjab.
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Guarding China
border: ITBP lacks aerial punch
Jammu, April 20 The ITBP, deployed along the Himalayas from Ladakh to Diphu La in Arunachal Pradesh, has not been provided with an independent aviation wing to undertake aerial reconnaissance. The altitudes in these areas range from 9,000 to 18,000 feet and the temperature plummets to minus 50 degrees Celsius during the winters. The Tribune had last year reported that in the Ladakh region alone, 10 ITBP posts along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) remain cut off during the winters. The ITBP was last year baffled by over 100 sightings of Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs) that appeared like yellowish spheres seen across the Chinese horizon near Pangong Tso Lake in the Ladakh region. Though the latest Chinese incursion into Ladakh has again been attributed to the oft-repeated "differences in perception over LAC", a top defence source said the incursion this time was more serious. A senior ITBP officer said the People's Liberation Army (PLA) and the ITBP were in touch to check incursions and transgressions. With New Delhi getting into firefighting mode, a Defence source asked, "If there is a difference in perception of the LAC, (it must be asked) how many times our troops have ventured inside the Chinese territory setting up tents, that too, inside 10 km?". The 3,488-km-long LAC between India and China runs through J&K, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh. J&K alone is marked with 1,600 km of LAC.
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NDA asks JPC members to reject report New Delhi, April 20 At a meeting of the opposition alliance here, leaders were briefed on the “leakage” of the contents of the draft report amid strong indications that the issue will be raised in Parliament when both the Houses resume their sittings on Monday for the second and concluding part of the Budget session. “It is Parliament, the people and the country that are betrayed through such acts of dishonesty. The NDA, therefore, appeals to all the members of JPC to reject this report in toto,” the opposition alliance said in apparent reference to the report. Among other issues on the anvil include the alleged misuse of CBI, the latest incident of rape of a young girl, breach on the borders and the handling by the Defence Ministry. Talking to correspondents later, NDA working president LK Advani, at whose residence the meeting was held, said the coal scam and reports of government vetting the CBI report on it, ahead of its submission to the Supreme Court, in a bid to “dilute”, will figure on the first day of Parliament after the recess. A statement issued after the meeting indicated a change in tactics of the NDA as it launched a sharp attack both against Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi. The focus of the meeting was largely on the JPC draft report with the NDA posing a set of five questions to the UPA raising doubts on the findings, condemning it for charging former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee government for causing loss to exchequer as “absolutely baseless”. Opposition’s posers
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JPC draft report for more powers to TRAI
New Delhi, April 20 “Such a move will lend more credibility to the role of the regulator which is going to be increasingly crucial in the times ahead. The committee, therefore, recommends that the TRAI Act be suitably amended to incorporate provisions to ensure that a harmonious balance is maintained between the regulator and the licensor in the matter of treating the recommendations from TRAI,” the draft report said. The committee said it is of an “unequivocal view” that the government should decisively respond to the recommendations of TRAI within a specific time frame just as the regulatory body has 60 days time limit to respond to a reference made by the government. The amendment was suggested on the basis of examination of a specific provision (Section 11(i)) in the amended Act. It said a close look at the provision showed that there were time restrictions on TRAI, but once it sent its recommendations “the government is at liberty to accept, reject or keep it pending without citing any tangible reason. Moreover, there have been instances in the past where the recommendations of TRAI were cold shouldered by the government”. The committee said the government never communicated its decision to the regulatory body on its recommendation of May 13, 2005. In January 13, 2005, the entire recommendations of TRAI on unified licensing regime were not accepted by the government without communicating any reason for the same to the authority. In 2005, the ministry did not go for auction of Spectrum although TRAI had made a reference to the Finance Ministry in that regard. Praising the work done by TRAI, the committee said it had been prolific in providing recommendations on different aspects of the telecom sector, both on getting reference from the government and by taking suo motu cognisance of emerging issues.
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Royal trains a burden, says Bansal
Chandigarh, April 20 He said due to limited period of journey of the royal trains, they are a burden on the Railways. In October 2012, the Railways had introduced five Maharaja luxury trains operating on 12 different tour circuits across the country, which include Palace on Wheels, Maharajas Express: Heritage of India journey, Maharajas Express: Indian Splendour journey, Maharajas Express: Indian Panorama journey, Maharajas Express: Gems of India journey and Maharajas Express: Treasures of India journey. Talking about introducing new tourism train on the Kalka-Shimla track due to heritage property of the Railways, he said it would not be possible as the financial burden of the royal trains was already enhancing the losses. Demands have been made by the commuters to broad-gauge the heritage track for introducing more trains on it, but it has been rejected by the ministry on the plea to preserve the heritage of the area, he said. Bansal stated that his ministry is chalking out a proposal to improve the coaches of the trains run on the Kalka track.
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New Delhi, April 20
