This refers to ‘6 months after 26/11, modernisation of police stalled by PSU infighting’, May 26. These problems were compounded by the vehement opposition of the Left parties and the Samajwadi Party to the procurement of arms and ammunition from Israel and the US. The problem with PSUs is that they promise a lot and deliver little. PSUs must be encouraged to develop defence supplies but the efforts in indigenous manufacturing cannot come at the cost of the country’s security and have to be time-bound in order to meet our requirements. Unless India’s private sector is encouraged to unleash its full potential in Indian defence production, these problems will continue.
That the modernisation of the defence and police forces now is at a virtual stand-still is borne out by the fact that over Rs 7,000 crore from the capital outlay for 2008-09 was surrendered.
M M Gurbaxani, Bangalore