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CAG questions anti-submarine aircraft deal with Boeing under UPA

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CAG questions anti-submarine aircraft deal with Boeing under UPA

The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), in its report tabled in the Parliament on Tuesday, August 7, pulled up the then UPA government for a USD 2.1 billion deal in 2009 for procurement of Long Range Maritime Reconnaissance Anti-Submarine Warfare (LRMRASW) aircraft from Boeing of the US.

The CAG said a bid from a Spanish company was inflated to make a rival US-made anti-submarine aircraft look cheaper, and favour the American defence major over rival bidder EADS CASA of Spain for procuring a fleet of P-8I maritime reconnaissance aircraft.

In its report tabled in Parliament, the CAG said the defence ministry enhanced the financial bid of Spanish aerospace firm to provide for a 20 year “product support” cost on assumption that Boeing’s offer had similar provision.

Boeing, at a later stage, offered the aircraft maintenance support under a separate negotiable contract, the auditor said, while terming as incorrect the conclusion that the American company was the lowest bidder (L1).

It said enhancing the financial bid of the Spanish company by including its product support cost resulted in pushing it to L-2 status (second lowest bidder).

As per the report, the contract was concluded with Boeing in January 2009 at USD 2.1 billion (about Rs 14,500 crore at the current exchange rate).

“The Ministry while concluding the contract for the acquisition of LRMRASW aircraft enhanced the financial bid of EADS CASA, Spain, to cater for 20 years’ product support cost, while ignoring this element in respect of Boeing. At a later date, Boeing, USA, offered product support under a separate contract and consequently the deduced ranking of Boeing as L-1 turned out to be incorrect,” the CAG said in the report.

Further, the critical role equipment offered by Boeing did not fully meet the needs of the Indian Navy, the report said. “Owing to capability limitations of radars installed on board, the aircraft is not able to achieve the envisaged coverage area requirements.”

The national auditor said the defence ministry had set the offset obligation by Boeing at USD 641 million (Rs 3,127.43 crore).

For Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW), the Naval Staff Quality Requirements (NSQR) had envisaged procurement of torpedoes and certain bombs as the ammunition. However, the contract for procurement of the bombs had not yet been concluded, the CAG observed.

The reasons for non-procurement of the bombs were yet to be intimated by the Navy as on September 2017.

Offset obligations to the tune of $640.26 million to be fulfilled by Boeing within seven years [August 2016] had not been fulfilled till date. “Boeing had claimed offset credits on mere placement of purchase orders, defeating the very purpose of offset obligations,” CAG said.

Under India’s offset policy, foreign defence entities are mandated to spend at least 30 per cent of the total contract value in India through procurement of components or setting up of research and development facilities.

The 2009 deal was for eight P-8I (Poseidon Eight India) aircraft. The first aircraft came to India in May 2013 and all the eight aircraft have been fully integrated into Indian Navy’s operations.

The P-8I aircraft is a variant of the P-8A Poseidon aircraft that Boeing developed as a replacement for the US Navy’s ageing P-3 fleet.

Indian Navy became the first international customer for the aircraft which is equipped for long range anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare and surveillance. The CAG also criticised delays in procuring bombs as part of the weapons for the aircraft.

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Mamata Banerjee struck deal with PM Modi to defame Rahul Gandhi: Congress

The Congress on Monday claimed that West Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee want to save herself from raids by probe agencies and has thus struck a deal with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to “defame” Rahul Gandhi and the grand-old party.

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Mamata Banerjee

The Congress on Monday claimed that West Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee want to save herself from raids by probe agencies and has thus struck a deal with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to “defame” Rahul Gandhi and the grand-old party.

In a statement to news agency ANI, Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury claimed that Mamata Banerjee was speaking on the directions of PM Modi as ‘didi’ and PM have made a deal “to defame the image of Rahul Gandhi and Congress.”

Chowdhury claimed that Banerjee wants to “save herself from ED-CBI raids” and is thus speaking against the Congress and Rahul Gandhi to make the Prime Minister happy.

The Congress leader was reacting to the West Bengal CM’s recent comments on Rahul Gandhi wherein she alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was portraying the Congress scion as a hero in their bid to divert attention from burning issues.

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Addressing her Trinamool Congress (TMC) party workers during an internal meeting in the West Bengal’s Murshidabad district on Sunday, Banerjee accused the ruling BJP’s efforts to stall parliament proceedings in their demand for an apology from Rahul Gandhi, as an attempt to “make a hero” out of the Wayanad MP so that no one questions PM Modi.

Banerjee alleged that the BJP was trying to shift focus from current issues by stalling proceedings over Rahul Gandhi democracy remarks in the UK.

The second leg of the budget session—which began amid turmoil last week— has been marred by logjams as neither the ruling BJP, nor the Congress-led Opposition, are budging from their respective demands.

While the BJP are demanding an apology from Rahul Gandhi over his comments on the Indian democracy during a recent speech in London, the Opposition has intensified its push for a demand asking for a Joint Parliamentary Probe (JPC) into the Adani-Hindenburg report.

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Outrage as Khalistan supporters storm Indian High Commission, pull down tricolour in London | WATCH

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London Mayor Sadiq Khan condemns pro-Khalistan protest at Indian High Commission

London Mayor Sadiq Khan, Monday, strongly condemned the attempted storming of the Indian High Commission in the UK city by pro-Khalistan protesters who also tried to pull down the Indian flag from atop the building.

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Khalistan protest in London

London Mayor Sadiq Khan, Monday, strongly condemned the attempted storming of the Indian High Commission in the UK city by pro-Khalistan protesters who also tried to pull down the Indian flag from atop the building.

In a tweet, Khan condemned “the violent disorder and vandalism that took place”, adding that such kind of behavior has no place in London.

Top UK government officials have also condemned the vandalism at the Indian Commission as “disgraceful” and “completely unacceptable” and assured that the British government will take security of the premises “seriously.”

According to a statement by the Metropolitan Police an investigation has been launched into the incident in which two security staff members sustained minor injuries but did not require hospital treatment.

Scotland Yard issued a statement saying they received calls reporting a disorder on Sunday afternoon, adding that a suspect has been arrested and investigations are underway.

In a tweet Foreign Office minister Lord Tariq Ahmad of Wimbledon said he was he was “appalled” and the government would take the security of the Indian High Commission “seriously”.

The British High Commissioner to India Alex Ellis termed the incident as “disgraceful” and “totally unacceptable”.

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On Sunday, protesters shouting loud pro-Khalistani slogans and waving pro Khalistani flags, tried to vandalize the Indian flag after they attempted to storm the Indian High Commission in the UK capital.

The visuals from the incident have gone viral on social media platforms as users demand stern action against those responsible for the desecration and also demand an explanation from the British authorities for allowing such an incident to happen.

India registered their strong protest to the incident. In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said that the senior-most UK diplomat in New Delhi was summoned late evening on Sunday to convey India’s “strong protest” at the actions taken by separatist and extremist elements against the Indian High Commission in London.

The MEA said India has demanded an explanation for the “complete absence” of British security at the premises which allowed the separatist elements to enter the commission grounds.

They said the diplomat was also reminded of UK government’s basic obligations under the Vienna Convention.

The MEA in its statement said that India finds the British government’s “indifference” to the security of Indian mission’s premises and personnel as unacceptable and expects the UK government to take immediate steps “to identify, arrest and prosecute each one of those involved” in the incident, and put in place stringent measures to prevent the recurrence of such incidents.

Amid the massive crackdown on pro-Khalistan leader Amritpal Singh in Punjab, Sikhs For Justice—a proscribed outfit—is conducting its “Referendum 2020” in its push for a separate nation for Sikhs in India.

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CEO of Mumbai tech firm, out on a jog, dies after car being run over by speeding car

Following the accident, the police reached the location of the crime and shifted the body to a hospital. The car driver has been identified as Sumer Merchant who was going to drop his friends at Shivaji Park. As per the reports, Merchant sustained minor injuries in the crash.

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Mumbai tech firm CEO Rajalakshmi Vijay Ramakrishnan

A harrowing story has come to light from Mumbai’s Matunga East area where the CEO of a tech company, Rajalakshmi Vijay Ramakrishnan, went out on a jog with her husband. However, things took an unexpected turn as a speeding car ran her over.

As per the reports, the victim, Rajalakhshmi, was the CEO of Altruist Technologies by profession. As per the reports, the incident transpired when Rajalakshmi and her husband Vijay went out for a jog at 5 am to Mahalaxmi racecourse. The couple met with their friends with whom they regularly did their workouts.

After their usual workout, the couple resigned from the racecourse and parted ways as Vijay went toward Peddar Road for jogging, whereas, Rajalakshmi decided to jog back home as per the police. The victim, as per reports, chose to take a longer route home as she was passionate about running and had recently run a marathon recently as well.

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However, upon reaching Worli Dairy, Rajalakshmi met with an accident by a speeding Tata Nexon around 6:20 am. As per the reports, the car slammed into the Rajalakshmi which led to her being flung into the air and landing 20 feet away. After the car rammed into Rajalakshmi, it went on to ram into the divider which led to the deployment of the airbags.

Following the accident, the police reached the location of the crime and shifted the body to a hospital. The car driver has been identified as Sumer Merchant who was going to drop his friends at Shivaji Park. As per the reports, Merchant sustained minor injuries in the crash.

Police’s actions

As per the reports, the police have registered a case under Section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder and other sections of the IPC and Motor Vehicles Act against the 23-year-old driver. It is also suspected that the suspect was under the influence while he was driving and his blood samples have also been collected for the same.

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