IAF Vice Chief bats for 'beautiful', 'capable' Rafale
Mumbai, Sep 5 : The Indian Air Force (IAF) is waiting for the "beautiful and capable" Rafale fighter jet, Vice Chief Air Marshal Shirish Baban Deo said on Wednesday, strongly batting for the aircraft whose purchase from a French maker has been mired in alleged financial irregularities.
The IAF Vice Chief, speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an event here, said those speaking against the aircraft lacked information about the advanced jet manufactured by France's Dassault Aviation.
"Actually, I shouldn't comment but I can tell you... All this discussion and all these things going on (about) Rafale, it is because we know a lot about how everything went. We find that people don't have the information, okay.
"And, I shouldn't be, you know, speaking. I am not authorised to volunteer information. So we just lump it. And these kind of things are not … We are just waiting for the aircraft to come. It is a beautiful aircraft. Very, very capable aircraft and it is a capability that we need very quickly," the Vice Chief Air Marshal said.
Asked to elaborate further, the officer said he had said what he had to. "I think I have made myself very clear. You just have to read the DPP, to know about offsets and things like that to say what is what, that's it."
Rafale is a twin-engine multi-role fighter aircraft, which is said to be capable of mounting simultaneous air defence and ground attacks in a single mission.
The IAF Vice Chief's remarks about the fighter come as the Congress has been relentlessly accusing the Modi government of indulging in financial irregularities in the defence deal between India and France.
India had inked an inter-governmental agreement with France in September 2016 for procurement of 36 Rafale fighter jets at a cost of around Rs 58,000 crore. The delivery of the jets is scheduled to begin from September 2019.
Congress President Rahul Gandhi alleges that the deal to purchase the jets had cost India's exchequer hugely because the UPA government had agreed to pay less cost per aircraft as compared to what Prime Minister Narendra Modi has finalized.
The Vice Chief Air Marshal was also asked about the delay in the procurement of the Tejas aircraft and whether contracting such projects to private players was a better option.
"I do (think so). I personally do. The Air Force policy is that anything comes to us quickly and money stays in our country, that's what is required. It is not necessary to know whether the money is with the DPSU (Defence Public Sector Undertakings) or with private company," he said.
"As long as the money stays in the country, the investment is in the country and aircraft comes out quickly, why should we refuse it?"
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Karnataka Assembly passes bill on Palace Grounds amid opposition protest
Bengaluru, Mar 6 (PTI): The Karnataka Assembly on Thursday passed the Bangalore Palace (Utilisation and Regulation of Land) Bill, reaffirming state ownership over 472 acres and 16 guntas of land here, amid protests by the opposition BJP.
During the discussion, Karnataka Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H K Patil said the state government would have to provide Rs 200 crore worth of Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) for each acre of land, which means that for 15 acres, Rs 3,000 crore worth of TDR would be issued.
“If we accept it, then this 2-km stretch of road will become the costliest road in the world. If we accept it then how are we going to develop the city in later stages? How will you carry out development works?” asked Patil.
He also pointed out that this question was raised not only under the Congress government but also during the previous BJP regime.
However, the BJP-led cabinet has opposed the project.
ALSO READ: Budget session: Law Min. HK Patil introduces Microfinance bill in Karnataka assembly
“Suppose we agree to it then, what will be the valuation of the 472 acres? It will be lakhs and lakhs of crores of rupees. Can we accept?” Patil wondered.
The Minister said the government had previously exercised its executive powers to issue an ordinance, which was approved by the Governor. Now the government is bringing a bill with two amendments.
“In this bill, we have made provisions either to develop or drop the road development work,” Patil explained.
However, BJP state president B Y Vijayendra and BJP MLA Arvind Bellad opposed the move, alleging that the government was targetting Yaduveer Krishna Datta Chamaraja Wadiyar, the scion of the Mysuru royal family, and the BJP MP from Mysuru-Kodagu constituency out of political vendetta.
“We talk of 472 acres of Mysuru Maharaja but here there are many Maharajas who too own 400 acres, 500 acres and thousands of acres of land, which is known to everyone,” Bellad said.
He slammed the Congress government, saying political power should not be misused for personal vendetta.
“Why (the then Deputy Chief Minister) Siddaramaiah brought the law in 1996 pertaining to the Bangalore Palace? Why are you setting eyes on the Bangalore Palace?” he asked.
Vijayendra charged that Wadiyar won the election on BJP ticket so the state government realised that it should acquire it.
“This bill has been brought for political vengeance. We are not discussing whether Rs 3,000 crore is exorbitant or not but the moment Yaduveer became MP, the state government woke up. You should be ashamed. This house should not be used for political vendetta,” he said.
Intervening, Minister Priyank Kharge said Vijayendra should not have raised it because the intention behind building the road was noble.
According to him, the BJP too had the same plan when it was in power.
He sought to know whether thousands of crores of rupees be spent on a road which should have cost significantly less.
In response, BJP MLA B A Basavaraj (Byrathi) said issuing TDR will not be a burden on the state government and appealed to the ruling Congress to reconsider its stance.
Minister Ramalinga Reddy too explained that the Karnataka government acquired the entire land way back in 1996.
The Mysuru royal family went to the High Court, which gave ruling in favour of the state government. The royal family then approached the Supreme Court, where the case is still going on, the Minister pointed out.
“The final judgment is pending in the SC to decide whether the acquisition was right or wrong. If the SC says it’s the royal family’s property then let it be so. If the order is in the state government’s favour then we can take a decision. The bill is only about it,” Reddy explained.
Speaker U T Khader then called for a voice vote and the bill was passed by the Assembly amidst opposition BJP’s discontent.
