Services on board on Chief of Defence Staff, says MoS Defence

The government today said the Services were on board on having a Chief of Defence Staff for the armed forces and now it would seek the opinion of the political parties on the issue.
"The Chief of Defence Staff is something that the country has been looking at the last couple of decades. Most countries have a Chief of Defence Staff. When you have a Chief of Defence Staff it can evaluate the requirements all three services...," Minister of State for Defence Rao Inderjit Singh told reporters here.
Speaking on the sidelines of AeroIndia International Seminar-2015, he said the Chief of Defence Staff was someone who has to take the overall perspective and doesn't think in compartments like Navy, Air force and the Army.

"Therefore the money that is going to be spent on the overall capability to be developed within the country can be much better utilised with the Chief of Defence Staff.
"The three Services have agreed that there should be a Chief of Defence Staff...We have to now get parties involved, as it is a political decision. There are pros and cons to the whole issue, the Services is now on board more or less. Now the political parties have to be taken on board. Once they give their opinion we will take a decision," he said.
Asked whether government has started discussions with parties, Singh said it has been going on for a while, but now again "I think we are going to write to all political parties and ask them as to what is their opinion on this."

Stating that who is going to be Chief of Defence Staff is immaterial as of now, Singh in response to a question said, "According to me - what possibility that could be explored is that there should be somebody in the Chief of Defence Staff's position for a couple of years while all these issues are being worked out, like the CISC who could be there in that position...Let him operate for couple of years, once the difficulties are ironed out Chief of Defence Staff can be announced.
"...These things have to have a political input. Political input is going to be asked for by this government. Once we have the parties on board I think it will be done..," he added.