Question : MoU Proposal to OFB

(a) whether the Government had returned the MoU proposal to Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) in July 2017 since it was found deficient in terms of procedure followed;

(b) if so, the motive behind conducting Company Verification on 2 August 2017 through the Indian Defence Attache at Grand Power Banska Bystrica Facility;

(c) whether this visit of Indian Defence Attache was suppressed in reply to the Starred Question Nos.26 and 78 in Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha respectively;

(d) if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor; and

(e) whether the Government has probed this issue and if so, the details thereof?

MINISTER OF STATE (DR. SUBHASH BHAMRE)
IN THE MINISTRY OF DEFENCE
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(a) Yes, Madam. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) proposal forwarded by Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) was returned in July 2017 as it was found deficient in terms of procedure followed.

(b) Defence Attache (DA), Prague informed that the company evaluation / verification of Grand Power, Slovakia was carried out on 2nd August 2017 based on the request of Ministry of Home Affairs through Ministry of External Affairs.
(c) to (e): No Madam, reply to the Starred question No. 26 & 78 in Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha was given on the report of DA, Prague that no company verification was carried out on the request of Ministry of Defence / Ordnance Factory Board / Defence Public Sector Undertakings. On further enquiry, based on the letter of the Hon’ble MP regarding the reply made to the Rajya Sabha Starred Question No. 26 dated 5th February 2018, it has been informed by the Indian Embassy that the Defence Attache, Embassy of India, Prague visited the firm M/s Grand Power, Slovakia on 2nd August 2017 for evaluation / verification of the credentials of the firm based on the request from Ministry of Home Affairs through Ministry of External Affairs.


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