Battle To Search Truth in Must Continue
Today, the corruption is as dangerous as an enemy or the terrorist attack. It eats up the tax payers money and keeps the country poor. Army Chief in his statement puts the corruption as cancer and honestly feels the system is weak. He feels this cancer needs a big surgery and cannot be fought without an organised preparation. Seeking media and Public pressure for the delayed justice is normal and natural. The Whistle blown by Army Chief this time is more explosive and more clear. General VK Singh states that in the past, he was offered Rs. 14 crore bribe for allowing the traditional 600 substandard vehicles to be purchased more. Sources put the real cost of each vehicle in the market as 40 lakh but the jacked up price in army purchase is 1.04 crore with accessories. In India market the same truck offered by Tata and Ashoka Leyland can be bought at 16 lakh each. Army Chief says that he reported this critical issue immediately in person to Defence Minister but no action was taken. This perhaps forced the issue to get Public now by media. Army Chief said the vehicles, 7,000 of which were already in use in the Army, had been sold over the years at exorbitant prices with no questions asked. He said there was no proper facility where they could be serviced and maintained and yet these vehicles continued to be sold to the Army. The repair team has to be flown in from Europe in spite of Indian market competent to provide similar trucks. Army chief further states that the same hidden lobby had been engaged in his date of Birth injustice as they want him to cooperate. On Monday,26th. March-2012 the Parliament was rocked and blocked and Defence Minister is forced to hand over this delayed issue now to CBI. How the CBI is going to act on the past incidence as old as 23rd. Sept.-2010 the future shall tell ? No arrest of the army supplier so far stands teasing and why Defence minister as the superior of Army chief remained quite in the past needs to be probed. The courage of the ex-army officer Lt. Gen. Tejender Singh now the arms dealer and vehicle pedlar shows the depth and reach of corruption in the defence and security of the nation. Corruption of 1% lobby today is so powerful that the `honest` minister is forced to put forward an excuse of no written complaint by the army chief ? Why the system is unable to protect the whistle blower ? `Truth` appears so scared that the minister forgets that no one waits for a written procedure excuse to act when the enemy and terrorist attacks. Even now when there is Public exposure and media pressure is building the CBI has no written complain but is acting on media reports supported by minister order. Role Model organisations like Defence force which are still trustworthy need to look inwards and search truth with reformed Procurement Systems and indigenous solutions. `Truth` as victim remains hidden with or without the written complain in this issue of a late alarm and a late wake up call from the Minster followed by the General sitting at the top. Unfair Procurement process seems to have reached a point where the rotten system is stopping the update in defence preparedness. Leak of the confidential letter text written by Army chief to PM in this direction is certainly not a matter to be discussed in Public. The situation of delays and decisions is ugly and irreversible if the blame game continues.
Corruption in defence buying, weak readiness of the forces and Date of Birth issue of Army chief all are the precipitation of the same weak system. Let us examine how and why the Army Chief written plea on simple correction of date of Birth since past several decades send several times to defence minister was dismissed lightly by Supreme Court.Following text was written by me on 11th. Feb-2012 and subsequently on my blog and published later by few journals/Websites
rakeshmanchanda 
Leave a comment