12-07-2007, 04:11 AM
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Govt scraps Rs 2,400-cr chopper deal </b>
Pioneer News Service | New Delhi
The Government has decided to cancel the ongoing selection process for acquiring 197 helicopters for the Indian Army worth over Rs 2,400 crore following major deviations in the approved parameters of the helicopter and procedures. The process of inviting fresh tender and short-listing process will start shortly.
Two helicopters including the Eurocopter (European consortium of four countries) and Bell (US) were in the race for this big contract. The decision to call for fresh tenders came nearly at the final stage with the Defence Ministry officials carrying out price negotiations with France-based Eurocopter.
<b>Defence Ministry spokesman Sitanshu Kar said here on Thursday, "The Government has decided to cancel the ongoing request for proposal (RFP) for procurement of 197 helicopters for the Indian Army." He also informed "a fresh RFP for the same will be issued shortly."</b>
This decision was taken as it was felt that the field trials, which were on for the last two years, were vitiated by the fact that the European consortium European Aerospace and Defence Systems (EADS), which manufactures the Eurocopter had offered the AS 550 C3 model with an Arriel 2B engine in their RFP, it was learnt.
Sources said the EADS, however, sent another model namely AS 350 B3 model powered by Arriel 2B1 engine. They pointed out the Defence Ministry had given permission for the trial of AS 550 C3 model with an Arriel 2B engine adding no clearance was taken for the trial of the other model.
"In fact, such a deviation can be approved only by the defence minister after it goes through the Defence Procurement Board(DPB) which was not done in this case," they said.
As per the RFP, 6O helicopters were to bought in fly-away condition and the rest would have been manufactured by the public sector Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) under a transfer of technology agreement.
The procurement of a helicopter other than the one approved by the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) is not permissible under the Defence Procurement Policy-2006, which specifies, "a technical offer once submitted should not be materially changed subsequently."
Sources said one the discrepancies and deviations came to the notice of the Defence Ministry, it decided to refer the matter to the Central Vigilance Committee (CVC). The CVC concurred with the views of the Defence Ministry in terms of both engines and platforms. Consequently, the Government has now directed the Army to float a fresh RFP for the helicopters.
A majority of these helicopters were to be procured for flying in the high altitude including maintaining the lifeline and logistical support in the Siachen glacier, the world's highest battlefield. The helicopters were required to be rugged and able to fly at such heights ranging from 18,000 to 24,000 feet and in adverse weather conditions and air currents.
<b>This is the second major Defence deal to be scrapped this year. Earlier, the Defence Ministry had cancelled international tenders for the Rs 4,000 crore deal to purchase 400 upgraded 155 mm .52 calibre guns for the Army.</b>
<b>It had taken more than seven years for the helicopter deal to get almost finalised and scrapping it at the last stage would mean that procurement of the urgently-needed light helicopters would take another four to five years, sources said. </b>The Defence Ministry might call for explanations of senior Army officials who supervised the field trials of the helicopters, they added.
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This is an excellent example of how babus and COngress party collect hafta, frequent flier miles and gifts from ofcourse dalals for wife/mistress.
They give damn to country.
Pioneer News Service | New Delhi
The Government has decided to cancel the ongoing selection process for acquiring 197 helicopters for the Indian Army worth over Rs 2,400 crore following major deviations in the approved parameters of the helicopter and procedures. The process of inviting fresh tender and short-listing process will start shortly.
Two helicopters including the Eurocopter (European consortium of four countries) and Bell (US) were in the race for this big contract. The decision to call for fresh tenders came nearly at the final stage with the Defence Ministry officials carrying out price negotiations with France-based Eurocopter.
<b>Defence Ministry spokesman Sitanshu Kar said here on Thursday, "The Government has decided to cancel the ongoing request for proposal (RFP) for procurement of 197 helicopters for the Indian Army." He also informed "a fresh RFP for the same will be issued shortly."</b>
This decision was taken as it was felt that the field trials, which were on for the last two years, were vitiated by the fact that the European consortium European Aerospace and Defence Systems (EADS), which manufactures the Eurocopter had offered the AS 550 C3 model with an Arriel 2B engine in their RFP, it was learnt.
Sources said the EADS, however, sent another model namely AS 350 B3 model powered by Arriel 2B1 engine. They pointed out the Defence Ministry had given permission for the trial of AS 550 C3 model with an Arriel 2B engine adding no clearance was taken for the trial of the other model.
"In fact, such a deviation can be approved only by the defence minister after it goes through the Defence Procurement Board(DPB) which was not done in this case," they said.
As per the RFP, 6O helicopters were to bought in fly-away condition and the rest would have been manufactured by the public sector Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) under a transfer of technology agreement.
The procurement of a helicopter other than the one approved by the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) is not permissible under the Defence Procurement Policy-2006, which specifies, "a technical offer once submitted should not be materially changed subsequently."
Sources said one the discrepancies and deviations came to the notice of the Defence Ministry, it decided to refer the matter to the Central Vigilance Committee (CVC). The CVC concurred with the views of the Defence Ministry in terms of both engines and platforms. Consequently, the Government has now directed the Army to float a fresh RFP for the helicopters.
A majority of these helicopters were to be procured for flying in the high altitude including maintaining the lifeline and logistical support in the Siachen glacier, the world's highest battlefield. The helicopters were required to be rugged and able to fly at such heights ranging from 18,000 to 24,000 feet and in adverse weather conditions and air currents.
<b>This is the second major Defence deal to be scrapped this year. Earlier, the Defence Ministry had cancelled international tenders for the Rs 4,000 crore deal to purchase 400 upgraded 155 mm .52 calibre guns for the Army.</b>
<b>It had taken more than seven years for the helicopter deal to get almost finalised and scrapping it at the last stage would mean that procurement of the urgently-needed light helicopters would take another four to five years, sources said. </b>The Defence Ministry might call for explanations of senior Army officials who supervised the field trials of the helicopters, they added.
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
This is an excellent example of how babus and COngress party collect hafta, frequent flier miles and gifts from ofcourse dalals for wife/mistress.
They give damn to country.