Leave system in Defence Forces to be relaxed

New Delhi, Dec 6: The government has issued directions for relaxing the leave system in Defence Forces following several incidents of fratricide among Armed Forces during the past few years in insurgency-ridden areas like Jammu and Kashmir and Northeast, Defence Minister A K Antony said in Rajya Sabha during Question Hour.

He also said the government was concerned about transparency in Defence deals and ruled out involvement of middlemen.

He favoured indigenous production of Defence equipment ''as far as posible'' but added that the government would go in for imports whenever there was a shortage.

The Minister said he had instructed officials to sympathetically consider leave applications of their jawans posted in high-risk areas so that they are not continuously under stress.

Replying to a question on a recent incident in Jammu and Kashmir, the Minister said the government was serious about finding out the truth and two inquiries were on into the incident. Once the inquiry reports came, the governmemnt would initiate action.

To another question he said the government had also written to state governments to take care of the families of soldiers who are killed in action in insurgency-affected areas.

He said 23 Defence Personnel, including three officers, four junior officers and 16 jawans, were killed in such incidents in Northeast and J and K during the past two years.

UNI