LS: Centre refuses to share info on challenges faced by armed forces

New Delhi: Even though the Comptroller & Auditor General (CAG) of India, in its reports, had red-flagged the issues of poor quality of crucial equipment and supplies that personnel deployed at high-altitude posts of Ladakh and Siachen require, the Ministry of Defence on Wednesday refused to answer a question seeking details about the challenges being faced by the government in modernising its ageing military hardware and other related issues.

The question related to challenges faced by armed forces was asked by BJP MP Khagen Murmu, who represents Maldaha Uttar constituency in West Bengal. The Lok Sabha MP wanted to know from the Defence Minister about the challenges being faced by the government in indigenising its military hardware to ensure self-sufficiency and harmonising its combat power to ensure that it can defend its borders against security threats.

However, in a written reply to the question, which was at serial number 314 as a starred question, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh informed the House that the desired information is strategic/sensitive in nature and its "disclosure is not in the interest of national security".

The BJP MP also sought to know from the Defence Minister about the details and the measures being taken by the government to meet these challenges, if any and the steps taken by the government in regard to the country's problems of prioritising spending and getting its armed forces to plan to fight together rather than coordinate their operations in integrated theatres.