Army got leaky artillery shells: CAG

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 6

The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) on Friday pointed out that the Ordnance Factory Badmal (OFBL) supplied the Army with artillery shells that had leaking explosives.

The CAG in a report presented in Parliament said 155mm ammunition was supplied in March 2009 and March 2010 to the Army by filling it with TNT mix. The Army reported “exudation” – leakage — of TNT mix explosive from the shells of ammunition within their shelf life.

This was on account of “setting” the melting point of TNT lower than the specified range. Required test of arriving at “set point” value of TNT in TNT mix was not carried out before filling in shells due to absence of provision for such testing.

The CAG said the Controller of Quality Assurance (Military Explosives), Pune, had not mentioned the “set point” clause in the specifications. The CQA was silent on how, despite having no such checks by the factory, its quality assurance establishment cleared the ammunition for issue to the Army.

Finally, lack of availability of test provision for set point of TNT mix led to a loss of Rs 62.10 crore on account of replacement of defective ammunition by the Ordnance Factory Badmal.

The CAG, in a separate case, pointed out to High Explosive Factory (HEF), Kirkee, saying it did not exercise due diligence before concluding a contract (April 2012) for procurement of Ammonium perchlorate (AP) Plant. The selected firm was not technically and financially qualified for this project. The contract was terminated (November 2013) as the firm failed to execute the project. The HEF concluded (June 2015) a contract with another firm at a cost of Rs 28.5 crore for procurement of the same AP Plant.

The Lapse

The Controller of Quality Assurance (Military Explosives), Pune, was silent on how, despite having no such checks by Ordnance Factory Badmal, its quality assurance establishment cleared the ammunition for issue to the Army, mentions CAG report.