NT NETWORK
PANAJI
Stating that everybody is “facing the music,” more so the Defence Ministry due to the content spread through the social media, Minister of State for Defence Subhash Bhamre on Monday said that social media is “a double-edged weapon” with no control over some things, thus acquiring the form of a tool for rumour-mongering.
Observing that some individuals in the Indian Army, which is made up of 50 lakh serving as well as ex-personnel, are bound to have grievances, Bhamre stated that the Defence Ministry has taken up investigations into all the complaints from such personnel, including those which have surfaced on the social media. “We have now well-oiled mechanism for such investigations and even the food served to the soldiers is checked including dry as well as cooked ration,” he added, pointing out that still if any Jawan has a complaint, then he can either lodge a complaint on the website of the Defence Ministry, or put in a written complaint in the complaint box, placed at every command unit level, which is directly forwarded to the Chief of Army.
It may be recalled that some armed forces personnel had posted videos online complaining about the quality of food – burnt bread and lentils – provided to them.
“Many of our Jawans are working along difficult terrains, and if leave is not granted to them, it affects their mental health,” Bhamre maintained, noting that the government is very concerned about its soldiers and taking good care of them.
The Minister of State for Defence, who is in Goa to interact with the locals, including members of SC and ST community, besides professionals and intellectuals on the occasion of completion of three years of the Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Alliance government at the Centre, while addressing a press conference in the city said that the Defence Ministry has changed its procurement policy for weapons as well as defence equipment and platform.
“The metric capability of any nation rests on self-reliance in the defence equipment and platform, and therefore, we want to focus on the indigenousness of the defence industry,” Bhamre maintained, stating that time has been reduced for such procurement, which used to take 13 to 15 years due to evaluation trial, technical trial and so on. “The Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP) 2016 has given boost to the IDDM (Indigenously Designed, Developed and Manufactured) weapons and defence equipment, with Buy Indian and Make in India initiatives,” he said, observing that now the Indian content has to be 40 per cent to 60 per cent in the defence purchase, for which a desired eco-system has been developed.
The Minister of State for Defence further stated that the research and development in the defence sector was not significant as it was done in isolation. “The doors of the Defence Ministry have now been opened to private operators, and the private industry provided with level-playing field,” he mentioned.
Bhamre said that during the three years of the Modi government, boost was provided to economy and infrastructural sector including highways, railways, waterways and roads in the rural areas, with surge in the industrial growth.
Replying to a question, Bhamre said that the Defence Ministry is yet to decide on the location of DefExpo 2018. The previous edition of the defence event was held in Goa.
Union Minister of AYUSH (Independent charge), Shripad Naik, the state Bharatiya Janata Party president, Vinay Tendulkar, and local general secretary of the party Sadanand Tanavde were also present at the briefing.