Antony asks Forces to adopt focussed approach on projects

In a meeting, he told the three Services Vice Chiefs that they should adopt a "focussed approach" for the remaining part of the financial year and speed up procurements which have a direct linkage to their operational readiness, sources said here.

This would include ammunition for tank regiments, the long-pending infrastructure projects in the northeastern states and weapon platforms for the three Services, they said.

The minister will also hold separate meetings on infrastructure projects in Arunachal Pradesh including the road network to be laid there.

He would review the progress on the delayed Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (IAC) being constructed at Kochi at the government shipyard there.

Former Army chief V K Singh had written a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh highlighting critical shortages in certain areas including tank ammunition and air defence systems of his force.

Since then, the government has taken several steps including clearance of two major projects for anti-tank ammunition worth over Rs 15,000 crore to do away with the shortage of these ammunition.

The meeting comes at a time when there is a possibility of a budget cut in view of the economic slowdown.

The Defence Ministry has been allocated Rs 1.93 lakh crore for the current fiscal but it had made a demand for additional funds of more than Rs 40,000 crore for meeting its capital requirements. (MORE)