UN deducts payment to India citing faulty supplies to troops

The United Nations (UN) has cut an estimated Rs 338 crore from its two-year reimbursements to India, saying that the Indian government provided faulty or missing equipments to the soldiers who were on peacekeeping missions to Sudan and Congo, said an Indian Express report.

UN deducted $50.45 million towards equipment meant to be carried but was not held by the units according to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed with the Indian Government. This decision was conveyed to India last month.

Reimbursements for UN peacekeeping missions are based on the actual strength of troops in UN missions and the equipment held by them.

A monthly tabulation of deductions sent by the UN show that from March 2014 to April 2016, $35.39 million (Rs 237.1 crore) was deducted for the Congo mission while $15.05 million (Rs 100.8 crore) for the period May 2014 to February 2016 for the South Sudan mission.

Currently, there are approximately 2,300 Indian soldiers in the Sudan mission and 3,400 soldiers in the Congo mission. 

UN spokesman from New York stated in a written response that the UN Secretariat has, in fact, “escalated the matter in recent months to those TCC’s (troop-contributing countries) associated with the units of most concern,” reported Indian Express.

“There are a number of flexibilities built into the framework to allow TCCs to address the problem. The Secretariat allows a leeway of 10 per cent of each type of equipment, and the TCC has a grace period of six months to fix the concern,” the spokesman said. However, there has been a relatively high incidence of these deductions since they were introduced from late 2013, and a number of TCCs, including India, have been affected, the spokesman added.

Under-Secretary-General for Field Support Atul Khare said: “We are working closely with troop-contributing countries to address shortfalls in contingent-owned equipment, including through encouraging partnerships between troop contributors and those who can provide the required equipment. We have also sanctioned transportation costs for the replacement of aging requirement, including to India and other countries, upon their request.”