Kelkar Committee report shunted: official

Barrackpore, Dec 11 (UNI) The controversial Kelkar Committee report on reorganization of the Ordnance and Ordnance equipment factories in the country has been gathering dust, a top defence official said today.

Director General Ordnance Factories and Chairman of the Ordnance Factories Board A K Lamba told officers and employees participating at the All India Ordnance Factories Athletic meet, which ended at Ishapore here yesterday, that the Kelkar Committee report was now a closed chapter.

The report was given a back seat, he said.

The Centre had instituted Kelkar Committee for reorganization of the Ordnance Factories, the report of which sparked controversies as the officers and workers opposed the recommendation of the committee. The Government had earlier, appointed an Expert Committee under the chairmanship of Prabir Sen, the Director of IIFT for implementation of the Kelkar recommendations involving granting of industrial licence for manufacturing of defence items.

The DGOF, however, did not elaborate whether the Government had issued any licence to the private industry for manufacturing of defence items by this time.

Mr Lamba also said ''the Board is likely to be granted financial power and it will then be able to exercise its autonomy to take decision of its own in the matter of ordnance and ordnance equipment factories in the country.'' The DGOF, who was overwhelmed by the functioning of ordnance units throughout the country, said the Board had fixed the target of its business for an additional Rs 600 crore in the next fiscal for which it had asked the Ministry to make sufficient budget provision.

Referring to the demands of development of the Rifle Factory Ishapore, Mr Lamba pointed out that he was waiting for a deferred meeting with the concerned secretary to the union government that was scheduled to be held on December 6 last.

UNI XC PC RP DS1425