Manohar Parrikar accuses UPA govt of not being serious on ammunition management

Union Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar has accused the previous UPA-II government of not being serious in maintaining the stocks of arms and ammunition, adding that there has been a substantial improvement under the present NDA Government. Parrikar was reacting to the CAG report on ammunition management, which stated that there is a colossal ammunition shortage with reserves that would hardly last 20 days of intense fight.

"A lot of improvement has been done. I do agree that during the 2008-2013 period, arms procurement and creating the build up of ammunition was not done with the seriousness it deserves," Parrikar told the media. "The war wastage reserve can change. It need not be 40 days fixed, it's a change based on availabilities. If a missile is worth Rs 10 crore, can't keep 40 days stock as then I'll have to keep Rs 10,000 crore worth. Shelf life and ease of handling (of arms and ammunition) are also two important aspects," he added.

Earlier, the CAG criticised the Defence Ministry over ammunition management, stating that the acute shortage of ammunition was a serious cause of concern and would directly impair the operational readiness of the force.