The CAG report flags a chronic shortage of gear for our forces in Siachen and raises questions about fund allocations

The latest CAG report about the pathetic lack of snow gear and supplies for our soldiers on guard at the freezing and inhospitable Siachen glacier is only shocking as a headline. For such findings do not change year after year when the defence accounts are assessed. They show the same lopsided allocation of funds that has been compromising the health and functionality of our troops. This is irrespective of Governments and consistent warnings by a series of CAG reports. This report is no different from the earlier ones relating to March 2013, which said that we would run out of ammunition in 10 days in a conventional war. So apart from this grim state of affairs bothering us for a while, there is no determined policy push to set it right. Some of the details are indeed so disturbing that it makes us wonder if we are among the top armies of the world. Such was the shortage of multi-purpose boots, which can protect feet in -55 degrees Celsius, that our personnel had to opt for recycled ones. They fell short of snow goggles in a region where you would go blind without them, simply because there weren’t enough stocks at the Ordnance Factory in Dehradun. If shortages aren’t alarming, raising questions about why the funds ran dry or if they had mysteriously leached during dissemination, then irregularities in the selection of rucksacks, face masks, high mountain clothing and equipment are more than plain serious. Apparently, they didn’t meet any specifications. Worse, about 31,779 sleeping bags were found “sub-standard.” And though these conformed to old specifications, nothing explains why they were procured at an extra cost of Rs 7.74 crore. The saddest part is all of these make for the most basic kit for such extreme conditions and are not even orders for upgraded gear. Still their procurement was delayed inexplicably by four years. Predictably, the Narendra Modi Government may pass on the blame to the systemic paralysis of the Manmohan Singh years and claim clemency that it only assumed power in 2014. But then can it explain why it couldn’t accelerate the empowered committee on provisioning reviews? As it turns out, some of our benchmarks are not even commensurate with international standards. And this is still not a priority considering soldiers are forever under threat in a treacherous terrain where more die to avalanches and climate extremes than any military action.

Year after year, there is always a demand for increasing the defence outlay. Last year’s Budget made the headline for being the lowest since 1962, which was when India fought the war against China. And though this time it has been hiked by about six per cent, mostly to factor in inflation, it is not enough to make big purchases for enhancing capabilities. Yet a lion’s share of the Budget is allocated to the Army, followed by the Navy and the Air Force. A majority of the budget then goes towards the salary and pension bill. And with both only expected to grow in the future, the cascading effect will undoubtedly stretch the procurement list at the seams for some time to come. So unless there is a strict cost rationalisation review, there can be no redress. Much of the revenue expenditure has been wasteful, due to outdated processes of maintenance and upkeep and a flabby supply chain management. Then there is the menace of corruption in procurement, skeletons of dodgy deals tumbling out of cupboards every other year, all of which compromise spends. At the moment, there is very little manoeuvering space to set aside funds for infrastructure. And if this is the case with basic equipment, one shudders to think what will happen to technological upgrades of arsenal and strategic inductions. Most of this year’s defence expenditure will go towards the new Tejas Mk 1A aircraft. Although developed at home, its capabilities pale in comparison to other fighter jets around the world and will need fortifications. Which means that we will continue to import rather than buy home-grown tech, simply because it is not up to the mark. Due to the low budget, the Navy, too, has had to roll back plans on having 200 warships by 2027. One just hopes that the appointment of the Chief of Defence Staff, aimed at improving the coordination between forces, streamlining resources, professionalising operations and sharpening our preparedness in the neighbourhood, can synergise security requirements and prioritise them according to the budget. Hopefully, we can then give our soldiers the boots they need to march with.

(Courtesy: The Pioneer)

The CAG report flags a chronic shortage of gear for our forces in Siachen and raises questions about fund allocations

The latest CAG report about the pathetic lack of snow gear and supplies for our soldiers on guard at the freezing and inhospitable Siachen glacier is only shocking as a headline. For such findings do not change year after year when the defence accounts are assessed. They show the same lopsided allocation of funds that has been compromising the health and functionality of our troops. This is irrespective of Governments and consistent warnings by a series of CAG reports. This report is no different from the earlier ones relating to March 2013, which said that we would run out of ammunition in 10 days in a conventional war. So apart from this grim state of affairs bothering us for a while, there is no determined policy push to set it right. Some of the details are indeed so disturbing that it makes us wonder if we are among the top armies of the world. Such was the shortage of multi-purpose boots, which can protect feet in -55 degrees Celsius, that our personnel had to opt for recycled ones. They fell short of snow goggles in a region where you would go blind without them, simply because there weren’t enough stocks at the Ordnance Factory in Dehradun. If shortages aren’t alarming, raising questions about why the funds ran dry or if they had mysteriously leached during dissemination, then irregularities in the selection of rucksacks, face masks, high mountain clothing and equipment are more than plain serious. Apparently, they didn’t meet any specifications. Worse, about 31,779 sleeping bags were found “sub-standard.” And though these conformed to old specifications, nothing explains why they were procured at an extra cost of Rs 7.74 crore. The saddest part is all of these make for the most basic kit for such extreme conditions and are not even orders for upgraded gear. Still their procurement was delayed inexplicably by four years. Predictably, the Narendra Modi Government may pass on the blame to the systemic paralysis of the Manmohan Singh years and claim clemency that it only assumed power in 2014. But then can it explain why it couldn’t accelerate the empowered committee on provisioning reviews? As it turns out, some of our benchmarks are not even commensurate with international standards. And this is still not a priority considering soldiers are forever under threat in a treacherous terrain where more die to avalanches and climate extremes than any military action.

Year after year, there is always a demand for increasing the defence outlay. Last year’s Budget made the headline for being the lowest since 1962, which was when India fought the war against China. And though this time it has been hiked by about six per cent, mostly to factor in inflation, it is not enough to make big purchases for enhancing capabilities. Yet a lion’s share of the Budget is allocated to the Army, followed by the Navy and the Air Force. A majority of the budget then goes towards the salary and pension bill. And with both only expected to grow in the future, the cascading effect will undoubtedly stretch the procurement list at the seams for some time to come. So unless there is a strict cost rationalisation review, there can be no redress. Much of the revenue expenditure has been wasteful, due to outdated processes of maintenance and upkeep and a flabby supply chain management. Then there is the menace of corruption in procurement, skeletons of dodgy deals tumbling out of cupboards every other year, all of which compromise spends. At the moment, there is very little manoeuvering space to set aside funds for infrastructure. And if this is the case with basic equipment, one shudders to think what will happen to technological upgrades of arsenal and strategic inductions. Most of this year’s defence expenditure will go towards the new Tejas Mk 1A aircraft. Although developed at home, its capabilities pale in comparison to other fighter jets around the world and will need fortifications. Which means that we will continue to import rather than buy home-grown tech, simply because it is not up to the mark. Due to the low budget, the Navy, too, has had to roll back plans on having 200 warships by 2027. One just hopes that the appointment of the Chief of Defence Staff, aimed at improving the coordination between forces, streamlining resources, professionalising operations and sharpening our preparedness in the neighbourhood, can synergise security requirements and prioritise them according to the budget. Hopefully, we can then give our soldiers the boots they need to march with.

(Courtesy: The Pioneer)