Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Aug 26: Senior Congress leader and Member Parliament, Partap Singh Bajwa today alleged that Rafale scam has exposed Modi Government as this biggest ever Defence deal has caused loss worth over Rs 41205 crore to the national exchequer.
Addressing a press conference at PCC office here today, Bajwa said that art of deceiving India is the Modi Govt’s mantra. Caught lying now, the Modi Govt is indulging in a brazen ‘cover up exercise’.
He pointed out that Rafale aircraft deal has caused Rs 41,205 core loss to the public money by purchasing a Rs 526 crore aircraft for Rs 1670 crore. Per aircraft price of 126 Rafales as per International bid opened on December 12, 2012, during UPA-Congress Govt, comes to Rs 526.10 crore per aircraft. 18 aircrafts were to come in ‘fly away’ condition from France and 108 aircrafts were to be made in India by Public Sector Undertaking, Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. with ‘Transfer of Technology’. At this price, 36 aircrafts would have costed Rs 18,940 crore.
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The Congress MP said that on April 10, 2015, PM, Narendra Modi announced emergency ‘off-the-shelf’ purchase of 36 Rafale aircrafts in Paris, France for Euro 7.5 Billion (Rs 1670.70 Crore per aircraft) i.e. Rs 60,145 crore for 36 aircrafts.
Bajwa said while PM and Defence Minister refused to divulge the inflated price of 36 Rafale aircrafts claiming ‘secrecy clause’, the agreement between India and France has no such clause on non-disclosure of commercial purchase price. The price stands disclosed by Dassault Aviation and Reliance Defence Ltd. Moreover, Congress-UPA had disclosed the price of Dassault Aviation made Mirage aircraft, as also Sukhoi aircraft and other Defence purchases on the floor of the Parliament. What is the Prime Minister and Defence Minister, then hiding? Does the refusal to tell the price not reek of a ‘Scam’?
Why did PM Modi reduce the number of fighter aircrafts required for Indian Air Force from 126 to 36? First of the 36 Rafales will come in September 2019 and last aircraft by 2022 i.e 8 years after the decision to purchase in April, 2015. With looming threats from China and Pakistan, does it not compromise ‘National Security’ and defeat the ’emergency purchase’ argument?
He alleged that the CCS has been by-passed, ‘Defence Procurement Procedure’ violated and ‘Transfer of Technology’ surrendered by this Govt. As PM Modi announced the purchase of 36 Rafale aircrafts on 10th April, 2015, no mandatory prior approval of ‘Cabinet Committee on Security’ was taken at the time of announcing purchase of 36 Rafale aircrafts on April 10, 2015. Mandatory requirement of ‘Defense Procurement Procedure’ for ‘Price Discovery’ through the instrumentalities of ‘Contract Negotiation Committee’ (CNC) and ‘Price Negotiation Commi-ttee’ (PNC) were not followed by the PM. Transfer of Technology’ to PSU, HAL for manufacture of Rafale aircrafts in India was also sacrificed by him. Again, Rs 36,000 crore ‘Offset Contract’ was snatched from PSU – Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.
Reliance gets ‘Defence Offset Contract’ of Rs 30,000 Crore and ‘Life Cycle Contract’ of Rs 1,00,000 crore. The public sector undertaking, HAL entered into a work share agreement dated 13.03.2014 with Rafale-Dassault Aviation worth Rs 36,000 crore for ‘offset contract’ during UPA-Congress Govt, he added.
“Why has PM Modi offered a bounty of Rs 1,30,000 crore worth of defence contract for a private company, by-passing the PSU, HAL?” he asked.
Senior Congress leaders Raman Bhalla, Mula Ram, Ravinder Sharma and others also accompanied Bajwa.
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