(a) whether several modernization projects of the army are pending for the last few years;
(b) if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor along with the resultant adverse impacts on the armed forces, if any; and
(c) the steps taken by the Government to complete the modernization projects under fixed time-frame?
MINISTER OF DEFENCE (SHRI MANOHAR PARRIKAR)
(a) to (c): Pendencies in procurement cases can occur due to several reasons, such as insuffi- cient and limited vendor base, non-conformity of offers to the Request for Proposal (RFP) conditions, field trials, complexities in contract negotiations, stakeholder consul- tations, lead time for indigenization etc.
Government constantly reviews the security sce- nario and accordingly decides to induct appro- priate defence equipment to keep the armed forces in a state of readiness and remaining equipped with modern weapon systems. Some of the steps taken by Government to address the issue include finalization of Service Qualitative Requirements before seeking the Acceptance of Necessity; reduction of validity of Acceptance of Necessity to one year; delegation of Financial Powers; decisions in a collegiate manner and imposition of liquidated damages on vendors for delay in execution of contracts.