National
Rafale allegations motivated and baseless, Sitharaman tells Lok Sabha
New Delhi, Dec 20 (IANS) Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday rejected allegations that Rafale fighter jets being bought by India from France are priced higher than under an earlier deal, and said the charges were “motivated and baseless”.
“The allegations are motivated and baseless. the government has bought Rafale aircraft on better terms,” Sitharaman said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha.
She said that the Defence Procurement Procedure was followed for the deal and an Inter-Governmental Agreement signed on September 23, 2016, after approval from the Cabinet Committee on Security.
Earlier this week, Sitharaman, in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha, had said the price of the 36 Rafale aircraft under the present deal cannot be compared with the cost of the original MMRCA (Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft) deal, but added that the present deal had better terms.
The MMRCA proposal was for the procurement of 126 aircraft, as per which 18 aircraft were to be in fly-away condition whereas 108 aircraft were to be manufactured in India under licence.
In the present deal, 36 Rafale aircraft are being procured in fly-away condition.
“There is no increase in the cost. Instead, a better price has been ensured,” Sitharaman said.
“The cost of the 36 Rafale aircraft cannot be directly compared with the cost under the original MMRCA proposal as deliverables are significantly different. Though there is no transfer of technology in the procurement of the 36 aircraft, the provision of 50 per cent offsets has been retained. The delivery schedule, maintenance arrangement and product support under the Inter-Governmental Agreement are more beneficial,” she said.
In 2000, in order to replace the existing MiG-21 aircraft, a case to procure 126 Mirage-2000 aircraft was initiated in year 2000, which was later converted into procurement of 126 MMRCA.
According to information given to the Rajya Sabha by the Defence Minister, the Request For Proposal (RFP) was issued in 2007, wherein six vendors responded.
On completion of field evaluation trials, only two of the six vendors were found to be fully compliant.
Commercial proposals of both vendors — EADS and Dassault Aviation — were opened and negotiations were commenced with DA as the L1 vendor in November 2011.
The contract negotiations had reached an impasse and the RFP was formally withdrawn on June 24, 2015. To meet the IAF’s critical operational necessity, 36 Rafale were procured through the Inter-Governmental Agreement route.
“The government decided to procure 36 aircraft through the government-to-government route to meet the critical operational necessity’ of the IAF,” Sitharaman had informed the Rajya Sabha.
An Inter-Governmental Agreement was signed on September 23, 2016, between the governments of India and France.
Asked about the offset partner in the present deal, Sitharaman said the vendor is free to select the Indian offsets partners.
–IANS
ao/tsb/bg
Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.
The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.
Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.
Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.
For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.
During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.
Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.
Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .
Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.
In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.
In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.
He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.
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