Gen. Singh writes to PM, warns about security risk

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Army Chief Gen. V.K Singh has written to the Prime Minister detailing the Indian Army's woes and warning of an extreme security risk to the country's defences.

Reports claim Gen. Singh's letter - dated March 12 - termed 97 per cent of India's air defence capabilities as 'obsolete'. The General added that our special unit troops were also short on weapons. According to Gen. Singh, the security risk was because tanks were also running out of ammunition. He appealed for suitable directions to enhance the preparedness of the army.

Reacting to the letter, minister of state for defence Pallam Raju said the gaps in the capabilities of armed forces and efforts are on to bridge these quickly.

Incredibly, Raju also said the defence ministry has utilised the entire budget allocated to it in the last three years.

“In the last three years we have utilised the entire capital budget and there was no surrender of budget. Nevertheless, there are gaps in capabilities which we are trying to bridge as quickly as possible,” Raju told reporters.

"We are fine-tuning the procurement process and speeding up the process and I think the government also has been very responsive to the needs of the capabilities of armed forces and we will see greater progress in the times to come," Raju said.

"We have been framing new rules and policy to minimise all these things (irregularities in procurement) and in case of purchases over Rs 100 crore, we have asked vendors to sign an integrity pact," he said.

"We are changing policy wherever possible to such things because every time any irregularity is pointed out and a cancellation happens it results in us buying the same equipment at much bigger price in a point later in time, which also affects our preparedness," he added.

V.K. Singh had on Monday disclosed that he was offered a kickback of Rs 14 crore in his office by a retired defence officer, sending shockwaves through the defence establishment.

He contended that he had informed defence minister A.K. Antony immediately about the conversation. The defence minister has ordered a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry in the matter.