Govt wants to favour Adanis in Rs 45K-cr submarine deal: Cong

Tribune News Service

Advertisement

New Delhi, January 15

The Congress today alleged favouritism in ongoing reviews for the Rs 45,000 crore Submarine Project 75-I and demanded that the government should come clean on the project.

Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala today accused the BJP government of disregarding Defence Procurement Procedure, 2016, and recommendations of the empowered group reviewing bids for the project to say, “The Prime Minister is trying to favour Adani Defence in this deal. This Friday the government is meeting to take a call on the matter and we hope the PM will take a decision to benefit the nation and not his industrialist friend.”

The Congress said the empowered committee comprising set up to review entries for the project had rejected the bids by Adani Defence and Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL) on grounds that they were not even eligible to apply.

“But the PM is pushing the Defence Ministry to accept the claim of Adani Defence-Hindustan Shipyard joint venture to manufacture six diesel submarines. Is the government promoting financial interests of its crony capitalist friends by violating the DPP 2016 and eligibility conditions contained therein?” Congress spokesman Jaiveer Shergill said.

Asked why the Congress was flagging a matter when the government had not even taken a decision, Surjewala said, “It is the work of the opposition to flag matters of national interest especially when the matters are clouded by suspicion.”

The Congress said in April 2019 request for expression of interest was issued to build six conventional diesel-electric submarines for the Indian Navy (Project 75-I) under the Strategic Partnership Model. “An Empowered Committee of the Indian Navy was constituted and headed by Navy’s Controller of Warship Production and Acquisition. Five responses were received — Larsen & Toubro Limited; Mazagaon Dock Shipbuilders Limited; Reliance Naval and Engineering Limited; Hindustan Shipyard Limited and Adani Defence and HSL Joint Venture.

“Adani Defence has zero experience of making ships or submarines. It seeks to manufacture submarines based on a clause wherein its experience of setting up and running a power plant is counted. On examination of manufacturing facilities and other criteria, the empowered committee shortlisted government-owned Mazagaon Dock Shipbuilders and Larsen & Toubro. The government and Defence Ministry now seek to overrule the empowered committee by directing consideration of Adani Defence JV,” alleged the Congress.

Surjewala argued that adherence to DPP 2016 was compulsory and that under DPP, the Defence Ministry was required to approve the special purpose vehicle and scrutinise it thoroughly. But Adani Defence or HSL had not even constituted an SPV till the last date of submission of Request for EOI which was September 11.