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Kargil cost country Rs 20 billion

Josy Joseph in New Delhi

The Kargil operations cost India about Rs 20 billion, Defence Minister George Fernandes told the Parliament today.

Answering questions on Operation Vijay, Fernandes said the Indian Army lost 519 officers and men while five air force personnel also died in the fighting. He said both Pakistan and India have stepped up military deployment along the Line of Control in the wake of the Kargil operations

. The minister told Parliament that the troops are deployed in "virtual eyeball contact with Pakistani troops." He also said that Pakistan was resorting to "unprovoked firing" and said cross-border shelling was causing heavy casualties on the Indian side.

On Wednesday, Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha presented in Lok Sabha supplementary demands for grants seeking approval for net cash outgo of around Rs 143 billion, one of the highest in recent years.

The government has sought Rs 70 billion over the defence budget to meet the increased expenditure involved in post Kargil upgradations and deployment. According to military sources, the government would be spending about Rs 200 million per day in Kargil sector for the winter deployment. The Army has erected several fibre-glass tents for the winter posts atop Kargil peaks. It has also constructed concrete structures for storing weapons. About 20 soldiers are being deployed at every post, each one of which has been supplied with excess winter stock of food, kerosene, medical kit and other necessary material.

The air force and the army aviation are also carrying out several rounds of sorties for supplying to these posts and for evacuating injured soldiers. According to sources, the air force will also undertake several rounds of reconnaissance missions.

On the expenditure incurred for Kargil operations, there are conflicting versions. According to some defence experts, who refused to be quoted, the expenditure could be anywhere near Rs 50 billion. "This may not be visible in the next year's budget. But in the coming years, the defence allotment will go up, and most of it will be used for the post-Kargil needs," a defence analyst with a leading defence institute in New Delhi told rediff.com.

The immediate needs such as the winter clothing for he army have already been met. Sources said, the winter clothing of one soldier costs around Rs 50,000. Snow boots and jackets have been imported from Europe. And a Defence Research and Development Organization labs located at Mysore and Leh have supplied specialised pre-processed food.

The Army is also upgrading the communication instruments at these heights. Already, modern radio sets, which have encrypted communication modes, have been provided to the soldiers. During Kargil operations, the Pakistani side was able to intercept Indian radio communications, and it helped them in locating Indian positions and movements.

Among the new procurements, the army is proposing to buy Remote Piloted Vehicles from Israel. There is no confirmation if the Army is going ahead with the procurement of these RPVs. These can be used for recce missions at the border to locate intrusions.

On the three-member K Subrahmanyam Committee, which is probing the lapses leading to Kargil intrusions, Fernandes said the report would be completed soon. The committee would also give its recommendations on improving national security, the minister said.

Though no indications are available about the content of the report, speculation is rife that it will be a generalised view of the Indian security scenario with no personal indictments.

The report is expected to have more recommendations on improving national security than a detailed analysis of individual failures.

The army, meanwhile, has already completed its internal inquiry into the Kargil intrusion. Headed by a Lieutenant general of Northern Command, the inquiry has concluded that Brigadier Surinder Singh was responsible in a major way for the intrusion into Kargil.

The 121 (I) brigade at Kargil, which he was commanding when the intrusions took place, committed grave lapses under his command, the committee has reportedly concluded. Sources said, the committee has indicted Brig Singh, who was transferred out when Operation Vijay began in May end, for his command lapse and total misjudgment of the situation. He is also accused of misleading his senior commanders.

Brig Singh had in the past blamed his immediate senior Major General V S Budhwar, commander of the Leh division, 15 corps chief Lt Gen Kishan Pal and even the army chief General V P Malik for not responding to his demands.

It is believed that the army has forwarded a copy of its internal inquiry to the Subrahmanyam Committee. It would take further action only after the Subrahmanyam Committee submits its final report, sources said.

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