Modernise Army workshops: CAG

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, November 30

The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), in its report in Parliament, said the modernisation of Army Base Workshops (ABWs) was plagued by administrative inefficiency and delay in decision to execute the project.

The Army, in 2017, decided to corporatise ABWs on Government Owned Contractor Operated (GOCO) model. “The implementation of GOCO model is fraught with risks and operational challenges,” the CAG said.

It asked the Ministry of Defence to formulate a strategy to mitigate all risks, including deployment of existing manpower, and to ensure modernisation of workshops without further delay.

Repair and overhaul of weapons, vehicles and equipment of the Army is done at Army Base Workshops.

The CAG also pointed out “lack of planning in the implementation of dress allowance” for jawans. Following the 7th Central Pay Commission, a “dress allowance” was allowed instead of the MoD providing a uniform. Dress allowance was to be paid in salary with effect from July 2017.

While issuing instructions, the MoD did not review the existing uniform stock lying at various Army depots and it did not devise a strategy to exhaust it. The result: Uniform stock worth Rs 126 crore kept lying at three Ordnance depots.