The elevation of Nirmala Sitharaman as Defence Minister and member of the Cabinet Committee on Security has revived hopes about the National Institute for Research and Development in Defence Shipbuilding (Nirdesh) at Chaliyam near here.
The Nirdesh project has been in limbo since former Defence Minister A.K. Antony laid the foundation stone for the ₹600-crore project at a 40-acre site acquired by the government in January 2011.
Its original purpose is to augment India’s domestic defence production capabilities by designing warships and submarines. But all these years, its activities have been confined to imparting training on shipbuilding, research, and development projects at IITs and IISc and corporate social responsibility.
Plan rejected
Sources said a ₹200-crore proposal to revive Nirdesh, an autonomous body under the Department of Defence Production of the Union Ministry of Defence, was rejected owing to opposition from the Ministry of Finance last year.
Now it manages with the funds sourced from the contributions of Mazagon Dock Limited, Hindustan Shipyard Limited, Goa Shipyard Limited, and Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Limited.
The sources said the Defence Ministry had hurried to set up a society without securing approval from the Cabinet.
Many believe that the Congress-led UPA government wanted to inaugurate the project with fanfare before the Assembly polls in the State.
Incidentally, a whopping ₹2 crore was incurred for inauguration and related expenses, including erecting billboards in Kozhikode district.
A proposal to design small vessels for the Navy and harbour vessels, tugs, ferries and survey ships is also hanging fire. Similarly plans to set up design software, engage experts in naval architecture and shipping building have gone awry, the sources said.
Nirdesh has its own building that could easily accommodate 30-35 officers. However, just three officers run the show now.
