'File pending for 18 months with defence ministry'

Complaints of slow decision making, requests for amending company law, changing duty structures, the adversarial attitude of the Directorate General of Anti-Dumping and Allied Duties were some of the issues raised here by industrialists Monday.

However what caught the attention of several industrialists present at the interactive session with union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley was the complaint of a small city-based defence equipment maker, Lab Electronics.

"For nearly 18 months a file is pending with the defence secretariat for unknown reason. The file pertains to the supply of some lab equipment to Indian Naval Academy in Kerala," K. Udayashankar, director of the company, told Jaitley at the open forum.

The company manufactures electronic items used in the educational sector, submarine trim trainer, micro/mini unmanned aerial vehicles and others.

"The Indian Naval Academy had tendered for equipment four years back. In 2013 the commercial bids were opened and we won the mandate to supply to four labs," Udayashankar told IANS later.

He said the academy has 35 labs and had come out with a tender for various items.

"The total tender value will be around Rs.60 crore," he said.

Responding to that, Jaitley who for a brief period headed the defence ministry, said fearing victimisation under the Prevention of Corruption Act bureaucrats are not taking decisions and leaving them to their successor.

He said in the last few months the government had expedited major defence purchases.

According to him there are delays in some departments like defence and disinvestment.

Wondering what the chambers of commerce were doing when the proposal to amend the company law was made Jaitley said: "Some chambers (chambers of commerce) wanted the bill to be passed."

He wondered how some of the provisions in the new Company Law have been lifted from the Prevention of Terrorism Act.

Raising another issue, Ramya Bharathram, director, Thirumalai Chemicals Ltd, said the government should act fast on the issue of dumping of products by some countries.