Naval Chief stresses need for ''Super Tank'' facility
Pune, Nov 29 (UNI) Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Sureesh Mehta today stressed the need for a ''Super Tank'' facility in India in view of economic progress of the country.
''India does not have the capacity to build a ''Super Tanker'' therefore, the Government shoud start negotiating with foreign countries to procure it for meeting the growing demand of oil, which is expected to double by 2012,'' he said.
The Naval Chief talking to reporters after the 'Passing out Parade' of the 113th batch of the National Defence Academy (NDA), said that Navy has been allocated an annual budget of Rs 20,000 crore under the defence budget, but a major chunk, of 60 per cent, goes in capital investment.
To a query on the status of aircraft carrier at Cochin, the Naval Chief said that the carrier will be completed in the stipulated time.
To yet another query regarding the privatisation of the ship yard, Admiral Mehta said that he is not averse to privatisation but is concerned about the security and maintenance of the ship yard.
He further informed that two Naval Academies will begin functioning in Kerala and Goa by 2008 and 2009 respectively.
UNI