(Image Courtesy: ADA)
Clears projects worth Rs. 82,117 crore
The Ministry of Defence on Monday approved a new blacklisting policy that will seek to lay down the guidelines for suspension of firms that resort to unscrupulous means to grab big-ticket deals.
The blacklisting policy, which will now be called Debarment Policy, was approved by the Defence Acquisition Committee (DAC), chaired by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar.
According to sources, the entire policy will be released officially in the next few days. Unlike previous times, the new blacklisting policy will not seek impose a blanket ban on foreign companies, which come under scanner on charges of corruption.
The DAC also considered purchase of 12 ShinMaywa US-2 amphibious search-and-rescue aircraft from Japan for the Indian Navy. However, it was not clear whether it was approved or not. The deal assumes importance considering Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Japan later this week for the India-Japan Annual Summit.
This is because, when a blanket ban is imposed on a particular company, their subsidiary firms also get barred from doing business. Therefore, a number of projects come to a standstill resulting in lose of investments.
The DAC on Monday also approved the purchase of 83 Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) at a cost of Rs. 50,025 for the Indian Air Force. This will be the first project that will be developed under the Buy Indian-IDDM (Indigenously Designed, Developed and Manufactured) category of the new Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP),
Under this category, procurements and development will be done locally under the Make in India program.
These aircraft will be purchased from Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL), along with simulators and ancillaries.
The DAC also gave in-principle approval or Acceptance of Necessity (AoN), to 15 Light Combat Helicopters (LCH) for the Indian Air Force and Army again under the Buy Indian-IDDM category at a cost of Rs. 2,911 crores. This is also to be procured from HAL.
Under procurement norms, once the AoN is accorded, request for proposals (RFP) are invited by the Defence Ministry.
AoNs were also accorded to the procurement of 598 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) at a cost of Rs. 1,100 crores and 464 T90 tanks at a cost of Rs. 13,448 crores for the Army.
DAC also cleared the way for issuing RFPs for six additional regiments of Pinaka missiles for approximately 14,633 crores.