New Delhi: A new Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP) has been almost finalised and aims to remove procedural difficulties in procurements, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said today.
The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) chaired by the minister, the highest decision- making body in the Defence ministry, will review it by the end of January 2016, Parrikar said.
A ‘mindset of mistrust’ has shadowed the Defence ministry in the last 10 years and procedures have taken over the end goals of procurement, he said while speaking after the launch of ‘Make in India’ portal of the department of Defence production.
“Lots of changes have been made in the DPP… it is almost finalised and is being processed through channels. By the end of January 2016, the DAC will review it,” the minister said. He said the changes were made after suggestions by the Dhirendra Singh committee. Senior officials concerned will vets the prepared document for the next two weeks.
“The first aspect… is to make the (Defence procurement) process easy. There are so many requirements to comply, and then the order does not come despite successful trials… One reason why this happens is the difficult mindset that considers the process more important than the goal,” the minister said.
“Over the last decade, procedure has taken over target… the target to provide equipment to the forces, preferably of local make,” he said. Elaborating, the minister said procurement of simple articles like jeeps at times have taken six to seven years, and procurement rejected in the end because of procedural gaps.
