November 22, 2001

LOK SABHA

'33'

FAULTY GUNS SUPPLIED BY MEDAK ORDNANCE FACTORY

    The Gun (Article-2A42) is manufactured at Ordnance Factory, Trichy, and assembled with BMP-II vehicles which are manufactured at Ordnance Factory Project, Medak. These guns are tested by Directorate General of Quality Assurance (DGQA) organisation as per the collaborators specified quality plans before the same are issued to the Army. The user (Mechanised Infantry) have recently conducted trials on the vehicles in April, 2001 and it has been reported that the overall performance of these guns has been satisfactory. Therefore, Ordnance Factory Project, Medak has not supplied BMP-II vehicles to the Army with dysfunctional guns. Enquiry into these incidents was neither considered necessary nor was the same instituted.

    The problem of leakage of air pressure in compressed air system from joints was reported in three vehicles out of 90 BMP vehicles issued to the Army. These are routine rectifiable defects and the same were rectified by the technical team of Ordnance Factory Project, Medak on November 22nd last year and handed over to the users in acceptable condition.

    BMP vehicles manufactured at Ordnance Factory Project, Medak, are issued to the Army after stringent inspection schedule comprising (a) Inspection by factory Quality Assurance, (b) Inspection by DGQA, (c) Inspection by Army’s Depot Collection Team, (d) Inspection by Resident Inspector Technical Group, Electrical and Mechanical Engineers Headquartered at the Depots (Joint Receipt Inspection (JRI) and (e) Inspection by Collection Team of User unit.

    Certain deficiencies of routine nature observed during the various stages of inspection are attended to/rectified by the technical team of Ordnance Factory Project, Medak, before finally handling over to the users. These are attended to as a routine and as per accepted and mutually agreed practice.

    This information was given by the Defence Minister Shri George Fernandes in a written reply to Shri A Narendra, Shri Radha Mohan Singh and Shri Dinesh Chandra Yadav in Lok Sabha today.