Enough funds for Army: Nirmala

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, June 5

Over two months after the Standing Committee of Parliament pointed out that there was shortage of funds to modernise the armed forces, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman today said she wanted to “dispel this notion as no such shortage existed”.

“Shortage is not the truth. ‘Prioritise your wish list’ is what we have told the forces as some of the projects are pending since 2004,” said Sitharaman while reeling off figures of defence budget allocation over the past four-five years. The minister was addressing a press conference to mark four years of the Narendra Modi government.

On March 13, the committee report quoted Lt Gen Sarath Chand, Army Vice-Chief, to mention that the Budget 2018-19 had “dashed” all hopes of modernisation of the force, which is saddled with equipment, more than two-thirds of which is “vintage”.

Asked what had changed since the period Army Chief Gen Bipin Rawat said there was need to punish the Pakistan army to the latest announcement of a ceasefire, Sitharaman said: “We are not doing a U-turn on Kashmir or Pakistan... We honour the (ceasefire) decision; it has been taken by the Centtre.”

On opening of roads in cantonments, she said, “In all, 850 roads were closed — 119 without following due procedure… Only 80 of the 119 roads have been opened... The ministry is aware of the concerns about unit lines and areas where families of Army staff are living.”