(a) whether there has been an increasing trend of returned for rectification of products, even with established items, due to inefficient manufacture and inadequate quality control in the Defence Sector;
(b) if so, the details thereof; and
(c) the cost value of these rejected / returned items and steps being taken to improve manufacturing standards and enforce stringent quality control in the Defence Sector?
MINISTER OF STATE (RAO INDERJIT SINGH) IN THE MINISTRY OF DEFENCE
(a) Quality Control of Defence products is the responsibility of the manufacturer. Directorate General of Quality Assurance (DGQA) provides Second Party Quality Assurance (QA) for stores on sampling basis. During Quality Assurance DGQA also returns stores for rectification by the manufacturer. The details of Returned For Rectification (RFR) by DGQA have been analysed for each established store / equipment produced by Ordnance Factories over the last three years and the trend analysis for arriving at increasing / decreasing trend has been worked out. The RFR data by DGQA for the last 3 years shows a total of 429 type of equipment / stores were returned for rectification. There is an increasing trend for 108 items, a decreasing trend for 104 items and for the remaining 217 RFR items no trend could be established due to production only in 1 out of the 3 years (Annexure-I).
(b) Details of trend analysis of RFR data for the last 3 years for stores / equipment supplied by the Ordnance Factories is given at Annexure-I.
(c)(i) The cost value of rejected / returned items are as follows:
(Rs. in Crore) Year Cost of Rejected / Value of % w.r.t. Returned for Sales value of sales Rectification 2011-12 172.16 12,291 1.40 2012-13 132.59 11,895 1.11 2013-14 144.65 11,123 1.30