NEW DELHI – According to Indian officials, a whopping Rs four lakh croreworth of military procurement involving 136 proposals were cleared by thegovernment in the last three years as part of efforts to modernise thearmed forces, PTI has reported.
India’s economic development must go hand-in-hand with modernisation of thearmed forces, Army chief Gen. Bipin Rawat said on Thursday.
“Economic rise takes place if the country is secure,” he said, defendingthe quantum of budget allocation to the armed forces, and stressed thatthere is a link between flow of foreign investment into India and thesituation at the country’s borders as well as the internal securityscenario.
To invite investment, “we have to build and develop confidence among theinvestors that the nation’s borders are secure and the internal securitysituations are under control for which there is a requirement for budgetfor the defence forces,” he said at a seminar here.
“Economic development and military modernisation must go hand-in-hand,” heasserted
The Army chief also talked about those who question the budgetaryallocation to the armed forces.
Referring to the defence budget, Gen Rawat, quoting an internal study bythe Army, said 35-37 per cent of the annual budget given to the forcecontributes towards nation building.
“If you are developing roads and infrastructure in remote areas of thecountry, they benefit the local population. The armed forces in theremotest locations are providing facilities of education and health care topeople where government has not yet been able to reach out,” he said.
Giving examples of expenditure, the Army chief also spoke of the moneyspent on sending Indian troops for various UN missions.
He said though the Army spends money on the troops, the reimbursement fromthe UN does not come to the Army and the amount goes to the ConsolidatedFund of India.