Accusations again made way to UPA on Monday with Union Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar accusing the previous government of not being serious. He also complained that the UPA government failed to maintain the stocks of arms and ammunition. Parrikar also praised NDA tenure and credited the government with growth and boost in economic scenario. The statement was made by Parrikar while reacting to a CAG report on ammunition management.
The report stated that there is a colossal ammunition shortage with reserves that would hardly last 20 days of intense fight. "A lot of improvement has been done. I do agree that during [the 2008-2013] period, arms procurement and creating the build up of ammunition was not done with the seriousness it deserves," Parrikar told the media. "The war wastage reserve can change. It need not be 40 days fixed, it's a change based on availabilities. If a missile is worth Rs 10 crore, can't keep 40 days stock as then I'll have to keep Rs 10,000 crore worth. Shelf life and ease of handling (of arms and ammunition) are also two important aspects," he added.
