Patrol Vessel Deal: Reliance Naval’s Bank Guarantees Have Been Encashed, Says Navy Chief
New Delhi, Dec 3: In a punitive action, the Navy has encashed a bank guarantee of the Reliance Naval Engineering Ltd in the Rs 3,000-crore contract for five offshore patrol vessels due to long delays in their supply, and said Monday that the deal is being examined.
"There is no preferential treatment being given to RNEL. Its bank guarantee has been encashed. Punitive action has been taken against it. The process is being taken forward," Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba said at a press conference.
The Navy Chief was asked about the huge delay in delivery of the vessels by RNEL and whether Navy is under any pressure to not initiate any action against the company.
Admiral Lanba said the deal is not being cancelled at the moment, but added that it is being looked into, indicating that government may take a call on the issue.
"It has not been cancelled at the moment but the contract is being looked at and is being examined and what we need to do with it," said the Navy chief.
The Navy chief also said that the company is undergoing corporate debt restructuring.
There was no immediate reaction from RNEL about the Navy chief's comments.
Anil Ambani's Reliance Defence has been at the centre of a controversy over the Rs 58,000-crore Rafale jet fighter deal. The Congress has accused the government of favouring the company.
The company as well as the government have rejected the charges.
The original contract for the five naval offshore patrol vessels (NOPVs) was won by Pipavav Defence and Offshore Engineering in 2011. The company was bought over by Anil Ambani group in 2016.
Sources said the bank guarantee was 10 per cent of the size of the contract.
According to the original contract, the first vessel was to be delivered by early 2015. However, the deadline was pushed several times.
Two patrol vessels -- 'Shachi' and 'Shruti', were launched at the Reliance shipyard in Pipavav, Gujarat, last year.
RNEL was the first private sector company to obtain the licence and contract to build the patrol vessels.
The vessels were to be armed with 76mm Super Rapid Gun Mount (SRGM) system.
The primary role of NOPVs is to undertake surveillance of the country's vast Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) besides operational tasks such as anti-piracy patrols, fleet support operations, maritime security of offshore assets and coastal security operations.
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Nora Fatehi apologises before NCW over 'Sarke Chunar' row, vows support for orphan girls
New Delhi (PTI): Actor Nora Fatehi on Thursday appeared before the National Commission for Women in connection with a controversy surrounding the song 'Sarke Chunar' and apologised, saying there was "no intention to offend anybody."
Speaking to reporters after the hearing, Fatehi said she had been put in a situation unintentionally but acknowledged her responsibility as an artist.
"It was just a situation that I was put in, and there was no intention to offend anybody. But of course, I have to be responsible as an artiste. I definitely apologise, we have done everything in writing. They have been so kind and helpful," she said.
The actor also said she has decided to sponsor the education of a few orphan girls.
"It's really important for us to give back to society. So, I decided that we should sponsor a few orphan girls, their education, so that is the goal after this matter," she said.
Earlier, Fatehi distanced herself from the Hindi version of the song, saying she had shot the Kannada version and that her permission was not taken for its use in Hindi.
The Hindi version of the song, released on March 15 on YouTube, triggered outrage among a section of the public over its allegedly explicit lyrics.
Following the backlash, the makers removed the Hindi version from YouTube, though it continued to circulate across platforms. The lyricist, singer and director have also issued apologies.
'KD The Devil' is a Kannada film, dubbed in four languages, including Hindi.
