A Parliamentary Committee has rejected Defence Ministry's excuse.
A Parliamentary Committee has rejected Defence Ministry's excuse that lack of political consensus caused the eight-year delay in having a Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) as a single point for military advice.
"The Kargil Review Committee (KRC) and Group of Ministers' (GoM) recommendation relating to the appointment of CDS could
not be approved by the Cabinet Committee on Security in May 2001 since it was decided that the government would take a view after consulting political parties.
"In the long period of eight years that has passed since then, political consensus on the issue still could not be evolved. The committee fail to understand the lack of political consensus on such an important issue concerning the security of the nation," the Standing Committee on Defence said in its report tabled in Parliament.
"The committee expects the Ministry to take effective steps so that the institution of CDS is set up expeditiously," the panel, headed by Satpal Maharaj (Cong), said in the 25-page report.
The creation of CDS was one of the most important recommendations made by the KRC set up after the 1999 Kargil war with Pakistan and the GoM that considered the KRC's suggestions.
The report said the existing Chiefs of Staff Committee (COSC) Chairman should be given "appropriate authority" to ensure quick response and coordinated action in emergency situations.
The authority should be an interim measure pending the decision to appoint the CDS, it added.
"The Committee further reiterate that there is an urgent need to give appropriate authority to the Chairman, COSC, in the present set up to ensure quick response and coordinated action in urgent situations as an interim measure pending the decision on the appointment of CDS," it said.
Noting that the CDS functioned in 67 countries around the world including France, Germany, United Kingdom and the US, the committee said the system had proved its efficacy.
The report rapped the Defence Ministry for lack of concerted efforts and asked it to use the existing fora for interaction with political leaders, besides making efforts to have the issue discussed in Parliament.
"There committee concludes that concerted efforts have not been made by the government. Merely writing letters even by defence minister is not sufficient. There is an urgent need to use various fora of interaction with leaders of political parties. Besides, efforts can also be made by deliberating the issue in Parliament through various mechanisms available under the rules," it said.
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