No review of NDA defence deals: Pranab

Union defence minister Pranab Mukherjee said yesterday that the Centre has no plans to review any specific defence related procurement deals executed by the National Democratic Front (NDA) government.

"There are no specific defence deals that are being reviewed. However, we will undertake a review of defence deals at the 'officers' level and if it is found that there is some element of discrepancy."

Mukherjee, during an interaction with mediapersons, also emphasised that the issue of job reservations in the private sector for backward caste and classes of society would have to be introduced only by consensus.

"We have stated that a consensus will have to be achieved for such an initiative in which both the trade unions as well as the management of private firms have to be in agreement. If either one of the two disagrees with the proposal, there is not consensus," he said.

Reacting to a query on the future of the Congress led coalition government at the Centre that has to function in the wake of an extra-constitutional authority (read Sonia Gandhi) and support from outside by the leftist political parties, Mukherjee cited instances in the past to reject criticism of the Congress president's role in the government.

"Even earlier the Congress has been a minority government that ruled (in 1972) with the consent of the majority (political parties). It may be recalled that the Kamraj plan was formulated by then president of the Congress party for dropping some Union ministers and the then Prime Minister executed the proposal in 1963-1964. Even the issue of commanding the height of public sector undertakings (PSUs) was a proposal that was formulated in the All India Congress Committee (AICC) before being taken up by the Congress led government. There is no question of any extra constitutional authority being in place," Mukherjee said.

Speaking on the Kashmir issue the defence minister noted that figures made available to his government indicate that the infiltrations into India by terrorists had registered a decline this year compared to corresponding periods in previous years.

"However, the ice is still melting in various passes that lead into India and it is still premature to make a comprehensive statement on the decline in infiltrations as yet," he said.