*Says US firm breached contract
NEW DELHI, Dec 11 (UNI) Defence minister George Fernandes today defended the procurement of coffins during the Kargil conflict without evaluation saying it happened during the height of the war, but admitted that the American firm which supplied them was guilty of breach of contract.
He said the American firm was located by the defence attache in Washington and the price quoted by the firm of 2500 Dollars per piece was approved by the price negotiating committee of the ministry of defence and the order was placed for supply of 150 caskets of 18 kg each.
No evaluation was made as it was a Kargil emergency procurement, he added.
The army rejected the caskets when it found that the coffins were of 54 kg as against the Indian army requirements of 18 kg.
The defence minister told newspersons here that of the Rs 180 lakh contract signed for 150 caskets, the army has already recovered Rs 78 lakh and initiated proceedings to get back the remaining Rs 102 lakh from the firm.
In case the company did not pay back the sum, the government will invoke the arbitration clause and the matter will go to court.
Mr Fernandes said he came to know about the Kargil coffins issue only after the CAG report came to him.
"I was not in the government...
I had resigned, when the information was given to the CAG." Asked about whether he agreed with the CAGs findings, the minister said that was for the public accounts committee to decide.
Bombarded with questions about why the caskets were accepted without acceptance tests or evaluation, Mr Fernandes said "You must remember it was at the height of the war.
Anybody pointing a finger at the army which was fighting a war at that time will amount to an offence to the army." On why the supplies were accepted after the conflict was over, Mr Fernandes said "Supplies do not stop mid-way.
You do not know when a war is going to begin or end.
In any case, India is fighting a continuous war." Left demands dismissal of Fernandes NEW DELHI, Dec 11 (UNI): The Left parties today demanded immediate dismissal of defence minister George Fernandes following the indictment of his ministry by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India for the purchase of coffins for Kargil martyrs.
Speaking to mediapersons here, leader of the parliamentary party of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) Somnath Chatterjee said the continuance of Mr Fernandes in the union council of ministers would be against democratic norms.
He pointed out that the Venkataswami Commission was investigating the defence ministers conduct as revealed in the Tehelka tapes.
Prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee could not justify his reappointment as defence minister before the Commission concluded its findings, Mr Chatterjee said.
The entire opposition, which had walked out of the Lok Sabha earlier during the day demanding an explanation from the government about the irregularities in the purchase of the coffins from a US firm at an inflated price, was also united in opposing the introduction of the prevention of terrorism bill in parliament, he said.
The bill was scheduled to be introduced in the Lok Sabha today by home minister L K Advani.
The POTO was not necessary at all.
It was a draconian legislation, he added.
PM erred in visiting Netajis temple: AIFB MADURAI, Dec 11 (UNI) All India Forward Bloc leader and West Bengal cooperation minister Naren Deb today criticised prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee for visiting the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose temple in Japan at a time when a panel probing the fate of the INA stalwart was yet to complete its task.
"It is wrong on the part of the prime minister to visit the temple when a judicial commission in the country is still investigating whether Netaji was killed in a plane crash or not," he told reporters here.
Mr Deb was here to attend his partys state conference that concluded last evening.
"We do not say he is alive or dead," he said, adding that the Indian government owed the responsibility to come out with the facts on the life of Netaji.
Sack Fernandes, demand Cong, Left NEW DELHI, Dec 11 (UNI) The Congress and Left parties today demanded immediate dismissal of defence minister George Fernandes following indictment of his ministry by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India for the purchase of coffins for Kargil martyrs.
Congress spokesman Anand Sharma and Communist Party of Indias (Marxist) leader in parliament Somnath Chatterjee told mediapersons here that continuance of Mr Fernandes in the union council of ministers would be against all democratic principles and norms.
Mr Chatterjee said the prime minister could not not justify the reappointment of Mr Fernandes as defence minister before the Venkataswamy Commission, probing the Tehelka expose, concluded findings.
The Commission was investigating the defence ministers conduct as revealed in the Tehelka tapes, Mr Chatterjee said.
Mr Sharma said the NDA government had exceeded all limits in committing irregularities and corruption.
It tried to cover up the intelligence failure which caused the Kargil conflict.
On introduction of the bill to replace POTO in parliament, he said the Congress would never support such a move.
Mr Chatterjee said the entire opposition, which had walked out of the Lok Sabha earlier during the day demanding an explanation from the government about the irregularities in the purchase of the coffins from a US firm at an inflated price, was also united to oppose the introduction of the prevention of terrorism bill in parliament.
The POTO was not necessary at all as it was a draconian legislation, he added Home minister L K Advani could not introduce the bill in the Lok Sabha today as the house was adjourned following pandemonium.
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