Rafale deal should not go 'unchallenged': Chidambaram
Bengaluru, Dec 21: Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram Friday said the Rs 60,000 crore worth Rafale deal should not go "unchallenged" after the Supreme Court expressed its limitations to examine it because of its jurisdictional limits.
He alleged the Centre deliberately misled the court and later accused it of "misinterpreting" the note.
"The government is also giving lessons in English grammar to the court," he told reporters here.
"A defence deal worth Rs 60,000 crore that will leave the country with only 36 aircraft, as against 126 contracted for under the UPA, cannot go unchallenged or unexamined, especially after Supreme Court expressed its limitations to examine the case due to jurisdictional limits," Chidambaram said.
The party (Congress), therefore, is taking up the cause before the people and asking them to support its demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) to probe the deal, he said.
The former Union finance minister also questioned the decision to cancel an earlier MoU and enter into a new agreement.
The governments of India and France had entered into an MoU under which India would buy 126 Rafale twin-engine multi-role fighter aircraft, he said.
The price per aircraft discovered through an international bid opened on December 12, 2012 was Rs 526.10 crore, Chidambaram said, adding Dassault, the manufacturer, would supply 18 aircraft in fly-away condition.
The remaining 108 aircraft would be manufactured in India at the Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd's (HAL) facilities in Bengaluru using Dassault technology that would be available to HAL under a Transfer of Technology agreement, he said.
"This MoU was cancelled and the prime minister announced the new deal on April 10, 2015," he added.
Chidambaram also questioned the government for its decision to buy only 36 aircraft when the need was for at least 126 aircraft.
He said by all accounts, the government was purchasing the same aircraft from the same manufacturer under the same configuration.
"The last phrase is found in the joint statement dated April 10, 2015. Is it true that the price per aircraft under the new agreement is Rs 1,670 crore (as disclosed by Dassault) and, if true, what is the justification for the three-fold price increase?" he said.
The former finance minister said if the price of the aircraft under the new agreement was indeed cheaper by 9 per cent, as claimed by the government, "why is it buying only 36 aircraft and not all the 126 aircraft offered by Dassault?".
He also asked the reason for scrapping the agreement to transfer the technology to HAL, which has an experience of 77 years and has manufactured a variety of aircraft under licence from the respective manufacturer.
"When entering into the new agreement, there was no mention of Transfer of Technology from Dassault to HAL," he said.
Chidambaram said former French president Francois Hollande had disclosed that the Indian government had suggested the name of a private sector company as the offset partner, and that France and Dassault had "no choice" in the matter.
The Centre, however, has denied that it had suggested the name.
"The question that arises is, did the government suggest any name at all and, if not, why did it not suggest the name of HAL?" the Congress leader added.
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13 lakh litres of 'Rail Neer' supplied to train passengers daily: Government
New Delhi (PTI): Approximately 13 lakh litres of packaged drinking water -- 'Rail Neer' -- are being supplied to train passengers across the railway network daily, the government informed the Lok Sabha in a written reply on Wednesday.
Apprising the Lower House about the Indian Railways' endeavour to provide safe and potable drinking water facilities at all stations, the government also provided zone-wise details of the water vending machines (WVMs) installed there.
"To ensure the quality of drinking water being made available at the railway stations, instructions exist for periodical checking and required corrective action to be taken.
"Regular inspection and maintenance of drinking water facilities is carried out and complaints are attended to promptly," Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said while responding to a question raised by BJP MP Anup Sanjay Dhotre seeking to know the supply of drinking water at railway stations across the country
"Complaints regarding deficiency in services, including water supply, are received through various channels such as public complaints, web portals, social media, etc. These complaints are received at various levels, including the Railway Board, zonal railways, division office, etc.," Vaishnaw said.
"The complaints so received are forwarded to the concerned wings of Railways and necessary action is taken to check and address them. As receipt of such complaints and action taken thereon is a continuous and dynamic process, a centralised compendium of these is not maintained," he added.
Providing zone-wise details of water vending machines, the minister said 954 such machines have been installed across railway stations.
"The Indian Railways also provides safe and affordable packaged drinking water bottles -- Rail Neer -- approved by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) in trains and at stations," Vaishnaw said.
"Approximately, 13 lakh litres of Rail Neer are being supplied per day to the travelling passengers in trains and at stations across the Indian Railways network," he added.
