QUALITY ASSURANCE
IN DEFENCE STORES & EQUIPMENT STRESSED
DEFENCE
MINISTRY CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE MEETS
The
Directorate General of Quality Assurance (DGQA) inspected equipment
and goods worth Rs 12808 crore during 2001-02 out of which stores
worth Rs 11070 crore were cleared for acquisition. The previous
year’s figures stand at Rs 11837 crore and Rs 10647 crore respectively.
This was stated by the Defence Minister Shri George Fernandes
while addressing the meeting of the Consultative Committee for
Defence, held here today. While lauding DGQA for its vital role
in the field of quality assurance, the Minister said that there
was still room for improvement.
Shri Fernandes informed
the members that DGQA is also taking up quality assurance of imported
equipment and weapon systems being acquired by the Armed Forces.
He said this is being carried out by DGQA experts not only in
the manufacturing country but also on arrival at the Indian depots.
Shri Fernandes said that during the last three years imported
equipment worth over Rs 2500 crores were quality assured by DGQA.
Out of this, equipment worth Rs 300 crore approx. were rejected
and quality claims raised for replacement.
Earlier giving a
brief presentation the Director General of DGQA Lt Gen MK Chari
informed the members that percentage cost of inspection was 1.72
during 2001-02, while the same is around 2 per cent all over the
world. Gen Chari said that stores worth Rs 245.31 crore were indigenised
during 2001-02. Some of the major items indigenised include ammunition
and spares for 155 mm Bofors Guns, large number of spares for
weapon systems and vehicles of East European origin.
While complimenting
DGQA for its role in the field of quality assurance, the members
expressed their concern over the high rate of 10 per cent in rejection
of stores. Some members expressed the apprehension that staff
deficiency in DGQA may affect its performance and urged the Government
to fill the vacant posts at the earliest. Expressing concern over
the large number of MiG crashes one member questioned the role
of Directorate General of Aeronautical Quality Assurance in the
up gradation of MiG-21 Bis aircraft.
The following members
attended the meeting - Shri Gurucharan Singh Galib (Indian National
Congress), Smt. Jayshree Banerjee (Bharatiya Janata Party), Capt.
Inder Singh (INLD), Shri Kunwar Akhilesh Singh (SP), Shri Vinay
Katiyar (BJP), Shri Mansoor Ali Khan (BSP), Shri M Rajaiah (TDP)
and Dr. C Krishnan (MDMK) from Lok Sabha and Shri Swaraj Kaushal
(HVP), Shri S Agniraj (DMK), Shri Balwant P Apte (BJP), Shri SR
Bommai JD(S) and Shri Rao Man Singh (INLD) from Rajya Sabha.
The Minister of State
for Defence Production and Supplies Shri Harin Pathak and Minister
of State for Defence Shri Chaman Lal Gupta were amongst those
present at the meeting.
