With the country embarking on a massive modernisation drive of its armed forces, Defence Minister A.K. Antony on Monday asked top Army and Air Force Commanders to be on guard against “corrupt practices” and not succumb to those under the guise of “aggressive marketing.”
Mr. Antony's note of caution to the top brass of the two services was delivered separately while inaugurating the biannual meetings of Army and Indian Air Force Commanders here, Ministry chief spokesman Sitanshu Kar said.
“Time and cost overruns apart, there is always the danger of falling prey to corrupt practices perpetrated by vested interests in the garb of aggressive marketing. I strongly urge you all to stand guard with resolve against any such overtures…,” Mr. Antony told the Army Commanders, whose conference concludes on Saturday.
At the Air Force Commanders meeting, he said: “At times, vested interests bring about unnecessary pressure and resort to corrupt practices that can wreck serious havoc upon our security in more ways than one. We must resist such efforts collectively and resolutely in national interest.”
Expressing complete faith in the capacity and ability of the top brass to uphold national security interests, Mr. Antony urged the Air Force Commanders to remain “vigilant, cautious and alert to any wrongdoings at all times,” and the Army Commanders to strive to uphold “sincerity, probity and fair play, even in their day-to-day administrative work.”
Modernisation
Over the past few years, India has earmarked massive budgets to modernise the tri-services, and a number of ‘big-ticket' defence procurement items are in the pipeline, including the Rs.45,000-crore 126 Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft for the Air Force, ultra-light howitzers for the Army, and light-utility helicopters for both services, among a long list of equipment.
The Minister's message also comes amid a slew of reports alleging wrongdoings by persons in the top echelons of the defence services, including the Adarsh Housing Society scandal, the Sukna Land allotment issue, and a case of alleged bribe by an international exhibitor to an Air Force officer ahead of Aero India 2011.
On modernisation, Mr. Antony stressed that it had to move ahead simultaneously with the process of indigenisation since no nation would ever part with its first generation equipment. For this to happen, he said end users, scientists and the defence industry must consult each other regularly at every stage of designing, manufacturing and producing equipment to minimise procedural delays and understand each other's requirements.
