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May 16, 2000
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India to acquire T-90 tanks, AJTs
India will soon acquire T-90 tanks and Advanced Jet Trainer aircraft for meeting the defence needs, Defence Minister George Fernandes has informed the Rajya Sabha. Replying to the debate on the working of the defence ministry, the minister said the price negotiating committee would soon take a decision. He said other formalities including field trials had already been completed. He said there were no doubts about the efficacy of the indigenously built T-72 battle tank -- Arjun which had undergone trials in the deserts of Rajasthan. Orders had been placed for the supply of 124 tanks through the Defence Research Development Organisation. But it would be difficult to predict when these orders would be fufilled, he said. Until such time, T-90 tanks would serve the needs of the defence forces to counter the threat posed by Pakistan's T-85 tanks. He countered the criticism that MiG-21 had outlived its utility by saying that that ''these aircraft could be the work horse for the Indian Air Force for the next 20 years once the upgrading was complete''. Though there were accidents involving the MiG-21, most of them were due to human errors, especially during training. He said negotiations were on to acquire weapon-locating radars from Ukraine to offset the acquisitions made by Pakistan. India had decided against acquiring these following the claims made by the DRDO that India was capable of manufacturing such weapons within the country. The acquisition of these radars was a necessity in view of the threat posed by Pakistan, he said. Referring to the recent fire at the Bharatpur ordnance depot, he said the government would spend Rs 4 billion for safe storage of weapons and armoury. The total losses in the fire were put at Rs 4 billion. Measures to replenish the gutted ordnance depot are underway and no imports would be needed, he said. About the causes of repeated fires in ordnance depots, Fernandes said it was basically due to lack of funds and the weapons were stacked under tarpaulin which could not offer any effective protection from heat and cold. It was due to his personal initiative that funds for providing storage facilities for these ordnance depots was increased to Rs 1.24 billion in the Budget compared to the meagre amounts in the past 12 years, he said. Responding to the suggestions of the members that the government should provide ex gratia to martyrs' families and those incapacitated in the Kargil war and other actions, the defence minister said the government had decided to provide Rs 1 million ex gratia to the families of the deceased and an equal amount to survivors rendered invalid depending on the extent of their disability. There were no such ex gratia payments prior to 1975, he said. The government would also provide Rs 100,000 each for two children. The interest on this amount was to be used until they completed their education and the principal for purposes like marriage. The government had decided to develop 30 colonies in the country to provide houses to war widows and surviving family members. It had also decided to double the ex gratia amount to Rs 2000 per month for the parents of the martyrs as there were complaints of their neglect.
Nuke tests made India stronger: PM
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