English हिन्दी
Connect with us

India News

Soldiers may have to buy their uniforms as Army needs limited budget to buy ammunition

Published

8 years ago

on

Soldiers may have to buy their uniforms as Army needs limited budget to buy ammunition

Claims of a booming, fastest growing economy have come up against yet another hard reality: the government does not have enough money to spare for critical needs of defence forces.

According to a report in the Economic Times (ET), the Indian Army has decided to drastically cut down its supplies from state-owned ordnance factories from 94% to 50% and spend the money saved to replenish the depleting stocks of critical ammunition and spares for a short intense war which the public sector unit has failed to provide.

The reason cited was that the Centre has not provided additional funds for these. The cut in orders for procurements from Ordnance factories is likely to hit supplies of clothing (combat dress, berets, belts, shoes) to soldiers who will have to spend their own money to buy these items from civilian markets, said the ET report. Even spares for certain vehicles will suffer, said the report.

The Army is working on three major projects to build this stock and requires funds worth thousands of crores, but since the Centre has not been forthcoming with the money, the Army has been forced to dig into its own minimal budget to cater to these requirements, said the ET report quoting unnamed officials.

Of the three projects, only one has begun and that payment for the emergency procurement for this project has been distributed over the years due to shortage of funds, the report said.

Another official explained that about Rs 5,000 crore has been spent on emergency procurement and another Rs 6,739.83 crore needs to be paid.

This project with the 10(I) order now costs about Rs 21,739.83 crore. The 10 (I) is ammunition and spares needed for 10 days of intense war.

For remaining payment of the two projects, the Army is trying to figure out how to fund them as the Centre has asked it to spend from its own budget.

The official said in March, the Army had made an initial cut in supplies from ordnance factories. “In March, the ordnance factories’ allocation for supplying items such as clothing, spares and certain ammunition was brought down to about Rs 11,000 crore,” ET quoted the official as saying.

Now, said the official, the army has decided to bring down purchases bought from ordnance factories from 94% of their products to 50%, so “from Rs 11,000 crore given to the ordnance factories it was brought down to around Rs 8,000 crore”. The officials added that the deficiency in ammunition and spares is because the ordnance factories have not been able to completely meet the requirements.

He added that the move would save about Rs 3,500 crore every year. “We will add another Rs 4,000 crore, bringing the total amount to Rs 7,000-8,000 crore a year. For three years, we should have close to Rs 24,000 crore, which will be used for the emergency procurement and the order for 10 (I),” said the official.

Providing a bit of background, the ET report said that following the 2016 Uri terrorist attack, the Army found that 46 types of critical ammunition, including for the artillery, tanks such as Armour Piercing Fin-Stabilised Discarding Sabot, anti-material, and 10 types of spares for vehicles and equipment were below 10 (I).

Recently ordnance factories had protested against the move. A few days ago, a top Army officer had met a senior defence ministry official and convinced him of the reason behind the move. The move, however, could create a problem for the government, as ordnance factories and several MSMEs could go into litigation as they have several past orders from the Army.

The Centre has also identified eight types of ammunition for manufacture by Indian private firms for Rs 1,700 crore per year for the next 10 years. This ammunition includes 30mm used by the infantry, 120mm extended range, 23mm and 40mm grenades.

The Army is also procuring Pinaka rockets over 10 years, which is worth Rs 1000 crore a year. “With these steps we should have 90% per of ammunition for 10 (I) by June 2019. Even at this juncture we are relatively fine, because all types of ammunition will not be used during war. But the government has to provide budgetary support. So far it has not and the Army has been forced to use its own budget at the cost of modernisation and maintenance,” said an official.

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

India News

Asish Banerjee found dead in Rampurhat, Mamata Banerjee aide’s death shocks TMC

Former West Bengal deputy speaker and five-time Rampurhat MLA Asish Banerjee was found dead at a Trinamool Congress office in Birbhum.

Published

12 hours ago

on

August 16, 2026

By

Mamata Banerjee

Former West Bengal Assembly deputy speaker and Trinamool Congress leader Asish Banerjee was found dead at a party office next to his residence in Rampurhat, Birbhum district, on Sunday morning.

Police said his body was found hanging and was sent for postmortem. A large crowd gathered outside the Trinamool Congress office after news of his death spread.

Who was Asish Banerjee?

Asish Banerjee had served as the deputy speaker of the West Bengal Assembly when Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee was the state’s chief minister. He was also a five-time MLA from Rampurhat.

He had served as Bengal’s education and agriculture minister after Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress first came to power in the state.

Banerjee contested the West Bengal Assembly election earlier this year but lost the Rampurhat seat to BJP’s Dhruba Saha.

Asish Banerjee’s recent party role

Banerjee stepped down as chairman of the Trinamool Congress’s Birbhum district core committee in June. At the time, he said he would continue as a general member of the party.

He lived in the Hattalapara neighbourhood of Rampurhat, with the party office where his body was found located next to his house.

BJP gains in Birbhum

The BJP won six of the 11 Assembly constituencies in Birbhum in the latest state election. This marked a significant change from 2021, when the Trinamool Congress had won 10 seats in the district while the BJP had secured one.

Police have sent Asish Banerjee’s body for postmortem as the circumstances surrounding his death are being investigated.

Continue Reading

India News

IPS Officer Nupur Prasad gets Medal for Meritorious Service after Sushant Singh Rajput probe

IPS officer Nupur Prasad, who led the CBI investigation into Sushant Singh Rajput’s death, has been selected for the Medal for Meritorious Service this year.

Published

2 days ago

on

August 15, 2026

By

IPS officer Nupur Prasad, who led the CBI investigation into actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s death, has been recognised with the Medal for Meritorious Service (MSM) this year.

A 2007-batch AGMUT cadre officer, Ms Prasad recently returned to the Delhi Police after completing her tenure with the CBI. She is currently serving as Joint Commissioner of Police in the Economic Offences Wing (EOW), where she oversees investigations involving financial and economic crimes.

The award is part of this year’s recognition for police personnel for distinguished and meritorious service. Such honours recognise contributions in areas including investigation, crime prevention, public service, law and order and administration.

Nupur Prasad’s role in Sushant Singh Rajput case

Ms Prasad came into national focus during the CBI investigation into the death of Sushant Singh Rajput, who was found dead at his Mumbai residence on June 14, 2020.

The case was transferred to the CBI in August 2020 following a complaint by the actor’s family and a legal dispute over jurisdiction.

During her tenure with the agency, Ms Prasad supervised key aspects of the investigation, including the examination of witness statements, forensic evidence and medical records.

In 2025, the CBI filed closure reports, saying its investigation found no evidence of foul play, abetment to suicide or criminal conspiracy in the actor’s death.

Career across Delhi Police, CBI

Ms Prasad has served in several positions during her career, including assignments in the Delhi Police, CBI, Arunachal Pradesh and West Bengal.

Before joining the CBI, she held senior positions in the Delhi Police and became the first Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) of Shahdara. During her tenure, she worked on establishing the district’s policing framework following its creation.

She also led operations targeting drug networks and illegal gambling activities while focusing on crime-prevention measures.

Later, as DCP of North Delhi, she oversaw security arrangements for major events, including Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort and Delhi University elections.

Community-focused policing initiatives

Beyond investigations, Ms Prasad has been associated with community-focused programmes involving women’s self-defence, youth development, cyber safety and drug de-addiction.

During her CBI tenure, she was also associated with several prominent investigations. Media reports have linked her to cases concerning businessman Vijay Mallya and the AgustaWestland helicopter deal.

Current role in Delhi Police

After completing her assignment with the CBI, Ms Prasad returned to the Delhi Police and took charge as Joint Commissioner of Police in the Economic Offences Wing.

The latest recognition adds to her career spanning investigations, policing and public service across several challenging assignments.

Continue Reading

India News

Kharge, Rahul Gandhi skip Independence Day event for 2nd straight year

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi skipped the 80th Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort for the second consecutive year.

Published

2 days ago

on

August 15, 2026

By

Rahul Kharge

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi skipped the 80th Independence Day celebrations at Delhi’s Red Fort for the second consecutive year.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the Independence Day celebrations at the historic venue on Saturday.

The absence of the two senior Congress leaders comes amid strained relations between the ruling party and the Opposition, which further deteriorated during the Monsoon Session of Parliament that concluded on Thursday.

2024 seating controversy

Rahul Gandhi had attended the Independence Day celebrations in 2024 but his seating arrangement triggered a controversy. The Congress leader, who holds the status of a Cabinet minister as Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, was seated in the second-last row during the ceremony at the Red Fort.

The Opposition had criticised the seating arrangement, calling it an insult to the people. The Defence Ministry, which organised the event, said the arrangement had been modified to accommodate Olympians at the venue.

According to protocol, the Leader of the Opposition is seated in the front row during ceremonial events.

Opposition-ruling party tensions

Relations between the government and the Opposition remained tense during the Monsoon Session, which ended on Thursday.

The session saw repeated clashes between the two sides, with both the Opposition and the ruling party blaming each other for the low productivity of Parliament.

The session began on July 20, with students marching towards Parliament on the first day. Twelve bills were passed during the session, while detailed discussion took place on only one legislation, concerning paper leaks.

The Congress, along with the Trinamool Congress and Samajwadi Party, also boycotted the customary tea party hosted by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla after the House was adjourned sine die.

Continue Reading

Trending

© Copyright 2022 APNLIVE.com