Equip Defence to Back Up Pragmatic New Policies

Defence minister Manohar Parrikar has made an impact as an able administrator and that, too, within a short period. The slew of measures he has initiated will eventually make him one of the most successful ministers. The instructions he has given to the forces guarding the borders not to tolerate any violation and to retaliate quickly and effectively amount to delegating responsibility. It is also a warning, particularly to Pakistan, which has made violations of the Line of Control a routine affair. Already, defence acquisitions worth over Rs 70,000 crore have either been cleared or are in the last stages of clearance. What’s important, most of the clearances are with the stipulation that they should be “made in India”.

The minister has shown remarkable ingenuity when he  disclosed his aim to regularise the system of agents in defence purchases. They will have to register themselves and they will not get any commission. Whatever payments they get will have to be disclosed by the manufacturer. This will make the agents’ functioning more transparent. Ever since the Bofors Scam hit the headlines, the presence of defence agents has been a nightmare for the authorities. The ministry will do well to bring in the public domain the names of agents and manufacturers they represent.

Similarly, Parrikar has shown realism in reviewing the policy of blacklisting defence suppliers. Following the Tatra truck scandal, the UPA government had blacklisted many companies, as a result of which procurement of equipment and spare parts had become problematic. It is against this backdrop that Parrikar’s bid to review individual cases of the blacklisted companies should be seen. True, the blacklisting was a panic reaction and the list was hastily drawn up by the then defence minister. Since the Army knows the borders better and has the capability to build and operate roads, the decision to bring border roads under it, instead of the surface transport ministry, is logical. While these decisions are welcome, he should ensure that their implementation remains foolproof and the defence forces never feel the pinch of short supply.