ELECTIONS '98
COMMENTARY
SPECIALS
INTERVIEWS
CAPITAL BUZZ
REDIFF POLL
DEAR REDIFF
THE STATES
YEH HAI INDIA!
ARCHIVES

Defence allocation may increase in budget, says Fernandes

Defence Minister George Fernandes said India's comments over the test-firing of Ghauri missile will not adversely affect the process of talks with China or Pakistan, but did not rule out a hike in the defence outlay when a regular Budget for the current financial year is presented to Parliament.

Addressing the media, the defence minister said a verbal duel between countries and the preparations made by them in view of the security considerations were one thing, while the normalisation talks were another. He did not believe that one would affect the other.

He substantiated his point by citing the example of the erstwhile Soviet Union and the United States, who fought fierce verbal battles and made all sorts of preparations to counter each other but continued to hold talks and were today engaged in ensuring the best possible security for Europe.

The defence minister also reiterated that India was fully capable of dealing with any problem posed by Ghauri missile, but asserted that he was not of the view that India's response had to be very 'active.'

When it was pointed out that a lot of funds would be required to pursue India's security-related programmes, Fernandes said the defence outlay for the current year had been fixed at Rs 400 billion in the interim budget, which was 10 per cent more than the previous year's allocation.

At this juncture, he also indicated that there may be a further increase when the regular Budget is presented. He said his ministry would make a strong case for it.

In response to another query, Fernandes admitted that Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Geong Apang had told him during his recent tour of the north-east that members of the Chinese army made forays into Indian territory, and recently a helipad had been constructed there. He also said the defence ministry was engaged in working out a suitable response.

He also reiterated that there was no need for testing India's Agni missile further and asserted that nobody was trying to bluff anyone. The minister was answering a question whether it was all right to go in for the serial production of a missile which had been tested just thrice.

''I stand by what I said,'' Fernandes said with regard to the Agni missile.

''We are well-equipped to meet all challenges which Ghauri poses,'' the minister said.

Responding to another question, the minister said India's missile programme was an ongoing one and that there was no need to delve any further.

On the visit of a US delegation to India for strategic talks, the minister declined to share the agenda but said the issue of mutual concern did normally figure at such exchanges.

He admitted that the US army chief was visiting Udhampur and Leh, and would be briefed adequately in Delhi and at Udhampur about the proxy war in Kashmir being waged by Pakistan.

The minister conceded that there were three versions of the Prithvi missile, and identified one as a surface-to-surface version and another as a sea version, but did not give details about the third version.

On a question about the use of defence land for private purposes, the minister said defence land is for defence purposes and any encroachment should be removed.

About China's missiles in Tibet, he said it was no great military secret.

He said the expenses incurred by the army while being deployed in counter-insurgency operations affected its budget and there was a good case for reimbursing the same.

On the lessons of the Northern Ireland accord vis-a-vis the Kashmir problem, he said the accord had made it clear that matters had to be sorted out across the table. He, however, agreed that, describing Kashmir issue as an internal matter, may not be very appropriate. But it was an integral part of India.

On the nuclear issue, he said the government had not moved away from national policy.

UNI

Tell us what you think of this report