'DNA' exclusive: Indifferent AK Antony didn’t heed warning

The general only reiterated what the army as well as defence minister AK Antony knew since 2008 — Tatra trucks are substandard and not suited for operational needs — when he wrote to the PM about the lack of defence preparedness.

The army, it appears, had to accept these duds for several years. Documents accessed by DNA show that the trucks “no longer met the operational requirements of the Indian Army”.

The Kargil war in 1999 and the 13-month deployment of troops along the Indo-Pak border in 2002 (Operation Parakram), following the terror attack on Parliament in 2001, provided the army with ample evidence that Tatra trucks could never meet the army standards.  

The army had brought the matter up before Antony at a meeting of the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) on September 26, 2008. The DAC is the defence ministry's apex body that takes the final call on purchases.

DNA has the minutes of the meeting that talk of the little use these redundant trucks have in a modern army. The army headquarters even revised the parameters for new generation trucks that would meet its operational requirements.

Despite such specific findings, Antony did not intervene and the army had to continue with obsolete Tatra trucks. In fact, an order for 600 Tatra trucks is still pending with the army headquarters after General VK Singh refused to authorise the purchase following a “bribe offer of Rs14 crore”.

The army had created parameters under the general staff qualitative requirement (GSQR) number 486 when the Tatra deal was first signed in 1986.

After Kargil and Operation Parakram, the army, in its fresh set of parameters, made it clear that it needed modern six-wheel (GSQR No. 1254) and eight-wheel (GSQR No. 1255) drive trucks with powerful engines.

The trucks, besides transporting troops, should be capable of carrying tanks, cranes, and army engineering equipment to name a few. The army needed 36,146 trucks to replace its ageing fleet.

All these points were noted down meticulously at the DAC meeting in the presence of Antony and General (retd) Deepak Kapoor, who was then the army chief, and it was put on record that the army needed new improved trucks.

Not only Antony but also several top defence ministry officials attended the DAC meeting in September. Current defence secretary Shashi Kant Sharma, who was then the director general, acquisitions, and central vigilance commissioner Pradeep Kumar, who was then the secretary, defence procurement, were among those present.

The minutes of the meeting with DNA show two Indian companies - M/s Tata Motors and M/s Ashok Leyland - were developing their indigenous trucks. But almost four years later, the army to date is saddled with obsolete Tatra trucks bought through defence public sector undertaking BEML.

DNA had reported in the past that Union health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad forwarded complaints against BEML to Antony in 2009. Independent investigation by DNA has showed that the army tried its best to stop the practice of buying Tatra trucks but failed because of the government's indifferent attitude.

As the deputy chief of the army, Lt Gen JP Singh on August 13, 2010, noted "procurement of specialised vehicles… from single vendor, though being resorted to earlier, is not a correct practice". The "single vendor" he refers to is none other than BEML. At present, the CBI is investigating the roles of its top bosses in connection with the sale of Tatra trucks.

Sitanshu Kar, defence ministry spokesperson, declined to say anything. "The CBI is investigating… I cannot comment anything," he said.

What prevented Antony from ensuring that trucks, conforming to the new parameters, were inducted in the army? The defence minister is probably the best person to give an answer. But had he done so, the Indian Army would have had a strong and modern transport system.