by admin | May 25, 2021 | News, Politics
New Delhi : The sniping over Rafale deal showed no signs of ending with the Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Monday challenging Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a debate on the Rafale deal and accusing Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman of “lying” over the contracts given to public sector undertaking HAL even as she accused him of raising “incorrect and misleading” doubts regarding her statement in Parliament.
Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad also slammed Gandhi describing his allegations on the deal to purchase fighter jets from France as “completely false” and said these were based on complete “commercial interests” and to “promote a competitor.”
Making a suo motu statement in the Lok Sabha, Sitharaman said she had received confirmation from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) that during 2014 to 2018, contracts amounting to Rs 26,570.80 crore had been signed with the public sector company and orders worth approximately Rs 73,000 crore were in the pipeline.
“Doubts are being raised on my statement made on the floor of the house on January 4 regarding procurement orders in the pipeline for HAL… I would like to set all doubts to rest by adding that I have received confirmation from HAL that during 2014-2018, contracts amounting to Rs 26,570.80 crore have already been signed with HAL and orders approximately of Rs 73,000 crore are in the pipeline,” she said without naming Gandhi.
“I had specifically mentioned that there are 83 LCA Tejas fighters ordered worth Rs 50,000 crore, 15 combat helicopters worth Rs 3,000 crore, 200 more helicopters worth Rs 20,000 crore, 19 Dornier transport aircraft worth Rs 3,400 crore, helicopters worth Rs 15,000 crore, and aero-engines worth Rs 8,400 crore. All of them put together amount to Rs 1 lakh crore,” she added.
Placing documents related to those orders on the floor, Sitharaman said they “clearly confirm the correctness of my statement made on the floor of this house and (prove that) the doubts raised in this regard are incorrect and misleading”.
Gandhi had alleged on Sunday that Sitharaman had “lied” to Parliament asked her to produce documents that the government had given contracts of Rs one lakh crore to HAL.
Gandhi kept up his attack on Monday following her statement in the Lok Sabha and described her as a “spokesperson of Narendra Modi”.
He said only contracts worth Rs 26,570 crore have been given to HAL not Rs 1 lakh crore “as stated” by the Minister while replying to a debate in the Lok Sabha last week.
“She spoke a clear lie in Parliament. Contracts of Rs 26,570 crore have been given to HAL. Remarks that more contracts of Rs 73,000 crore have been given is a total sham,” Gandhi told reporters in Parliament House complex.
He said the Modi government had given Dassault Aviation Rs 20,000 crore though they had not delivered a single Rafale aircraft but HAL, which had delivered on its orders including helicopters, was awaiting payment of Rs 15,700 crore. He accused the government of trying to wreck HAL.
Gandhi also accused Modi of doing a “bypass surgery” on the Rafale deal and said Sitharaman should give a “yes” or “no” answer to his question.
“I am asking Prime Minister and Defence Minister: Did officials of Air Force, Defence Ministry say that Narendra Modi had interfered in the deal,” he said.
The Congress chief said when he raised the question in Parliament, Sitharaman started talking about her middle class background which was “also not true”.
He accused Modi of being scared of facing Parliament.
“The chowkidar of the country is scared to face Parliament. He cannot stand in a Rafale debate. Give me 15 minutes with Narendra Modi, the whole country will know (the truth),” he said.
Gandhi also tweeted and said it is surprising that HAL doesn’t have enough cash to pay salaries.
Party leader Kapil Sibal also attacked the Modi government.
“Modiji’s Make in India. IAF pays foreign vendors on schedule, holds back payments to HAL. HAL employees entered New Year without payment of December salaries. HAL takes Rs 781 crore bank loan for running costs. End of this financial year IAF will owe HAL Rs 20,000 crore. Wah Modiji!,” Sibal said.
Prasad told the media that available documents in the public domain raised serious suspicious circumstances of the intention of Rahul Gandhi and Congress.
“It is too well known that the Congress party is never happy unless there is deal in the defence deal. Why is it that the leading family namely the Gandhi family appear in documents after documents, be it the AgustaWestland, be it the Air Force fighter planes for Rafale and their competitor Eurofighter?” he asked.
“Today a media house has come out with a document which says a strategy paper seized during the raids at Italian middleman Guido Haschke’s residence and offices has revealed that Christian Michel and Haschke worked on a plan to place Rafale’s prime competitor in the win zone.”
He said that one of of the middlemen Michel, a British national who is under detention, and others were also pushing the case for Eurofighter, which was in competition with Rafale. He claimed that the documents which have been shown were “explosive” in nature.
Firing salvos at the Congress chief, Prasad said: “Please explain what proximity you and your family have with Michel and Hasche?”
He said that despite Dassault emerging as the lowest bidder, the Congress government wanted a review of the decision-making process.
“How long will you keep on playing with national security?” he asked.
—IANS
by admin | May 25, 2021 | News, Politics
New Delhi : Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Sunday demanded that Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman place documents before Parliament to prove her claim that the Modi government has given Rs 1 lakh crore worth of orders to defence PSU Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), or resign.
Two days after Sitharaman made the claims in the Lok Sabha on Friday, Gandhi took to Twitter to question her claims, tagging a media report that said “no actual order has been placed”.
“When you tell one lie, you need to keep spinning out more lies to cover up the first one. In her eagerness to defend the PM’s Rafale lie, the RM (Defence Minister) lied to the Parliament.
“Tomorrow (Monday), RM (Sitharaman) must place before Parliament documents showing Rs 1 lakh crore of government orders to HAL. Or resign,” said Gandhi.
Gandhi had earlier dismissed Sitharaman’s arguments defending the deal to procure 36 fighter jets from France and accused her of evading his questions on the controversial deal while debating the issue in Parliament.
—IANS
by admin | May 25, 2021 | Corporate, Corporate Governance, News, Politics
T. Suvarna Raju
New Delhi : Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) Chairman T. Suvarna Raju backed the India-Russia Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft programme on Monday, saying it will bring home niche technology, even as the programme appears to be stuck over its high price.
Asked about the project, Raju said it was a “dream” for him and he expects to see it through.
Asked about the project, Raju said: “We are still hopeful, that is what we will say. It’s an opportunity as an industry and as a country.”
The HAL CMD said it was an opportunity for India as a country, and for the industry as well.
“This is an opportunity for us to go in for this kind of technology which no one else in the world is offering us… Let’s see how it unfolds,” he said.
He was speaking at the sidelines of an event to handover the 50th AL31FP engine, manufactured by HAL Koraput from raw material phase to Indian Air Force. The papers of the engine were handed over to Vice Chief of Indian Air Force Air Marshal S.B. SEO.
Asked if not going for the FGFA project may have political repercussions on India-Russia relationships, he said: “I will not be able to comment on political repercussion… But technology wise we have done the preliminary design already. It’s just one step more to move on to.”
To a question on what may have led to the IAF not being enthusiastic about the project, he said: “They would have their own priorities.”
“Fifth generation is an opportunity for India to learn the technologies and I would definitely see this will be the first project, the way the contract has been written, it has lots of benefits and it will definitely have a very positive impact,” he said.
The long delayed programme for a Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft that India and Russia were to develop together appears to be stuck, primarily over prices, as India feels it is very expensive.
A committee was constituted by the Defence Ministry to look into the details of the programme between India and Russia, which has been in the pipeline since 2007.
The committee recently submitted a report on the programme to the Ministry.
However, as per the report, the cost of developing four prototype fighter jets would cost around $6 billion, which is very high according to officials in the Defence Ministry.
India and Russia had inked an inter-governmental pact for the FGFA project in 2007. It was to be based on the Russian Sukhoi-57 or the PAK FA T-50 fighter jet.
India has earlier also expressed to the Russia side that the project’s cost was too high, and had also discussed buying the Su-57 fighters.
In December 2010, India had agreed to pay $295 million towards the preliminary design of the fighter, also referred to as ‘Perspective Multi-role Fighter’ (PMF).
However, negotiations faced various hurdles in the subsequent years.
There were several disagreements between New Delhi and Moscow, including on work and cost share, aircraft technology, as well as the number of aircraft to be ordered.
After evaluating the first PAK FA T-50 prototype (the Russian prototype of the PMF), the Indian Air Force (IAF) wanted more than 40 changes – addressing, among other things, perceived weaknesses in the plane’s engine, stealth, and weapon-carrying capability.
—IANS
by admin | May 25, 2021 | Corporate, Corporate Governance
New Delhi : The government has approved the sale of 10 per cent stake in Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), a defence Public Sector Undertaking, it was announced here on Sunday.
As part of the procedure, HAL had initiated the process of initial public offering with the filing of the Draft Red Herrring Prospectus (DRHP) on September 29 with market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India.
“This is a major milestone towards listing of the defence PSU which is slated for partial disinvestment by the Government of India,” said T. Suvarna Raju, Chairman and Managing Director of HAL.
—IANS
by admin | May 25, 2021 | Corporate, Corporate Governance
Bengaluru : Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has signed a Rs 6,100 crore contract to supply 41 Advanced Light Helicopters (ALH) to the Indian Army and one to the Navy, an official statement said on Monday.
“The latest order reflects the trust in HAL’s capabilities and gives an impetus to the Make In India campaign,” HAL Chairman and Managing Director T. Suvarna Raju said in the statement.
“It reposes faith of Indian defence forces in indigenous ALH, which has been serving them with distinction for a long time.”
The contract for the supply would be executed in 60 months, the Bengaluru-based defence and aerospace company said.
In March, HAL had signed another contract to supply 32 ALHs to the Navy and Indian Coast Guard.
—IANS
