Oppn voices concern over shortage of defence equipment

Opposition on Thursday expressed concern over shortage of equipment, falling expenditure for defence modernisation and huge dependence on import by armed forces.

Participating in a debate on Demand for Grants for Defence in the Lok Sabha, Sugata Bose (Trinamool Congress) said it was unfortunate that a large proportion of the defence budget remains unutilised.

About Rs 13,000 crore was under capital expenditure was returned back in 2015-16, he added. Lamenting the fact that Indian armed forces are heavily dependent on imports, Bose said, the government did not give any incentive for defence related manufacturing.

Taking an apparent dig at Manohar Parrikar being shifted from Defence Ministry to Goa as Chief Minister, the Trinamool member quipped that this government is having a great difficulty in giving a "full-time Raksha Mantri."

"Someone found Goan delicacy more worthwhile than providing nutritious food to our jawans," he added in a swipe at Parrikar.

Pinaki Misra (BJD) said, "This House has been bipartisan in the matter of defence but this will not prevent us from voicing our concerns."

Defence outlay as percentage of GDP has been coming down, he said.

"We are the only country in the world having nuclear capability which is reducing defence outlay," he said.

"And the other sad part is that the budgetary outlay is not fully spent and some portion lapses," he said.

Funds for capital expenditure of the overall defence budget have also been coming down, Misra said.

Referring to CAG report on defence, he said, it had also referred to shortage of equipment in the armed forces.