PAC Flags Issues in Procurement of Facilities for Soldiers

In Context

• Recently, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), in its 55th report on “Provisioning, procurement and issue of High Altitude Clothing, Equipment, Ration and Housing”.

More about the news

• About:
  • The report is based on the Comptroller and Auditor General’s (CAG) findings in 2019.
• PAC observations:
  • Mismanagement:
    • The committee observed that a huge quantity of essential items under Special Clothing and Mountaineering Equipment (SCME) Category-II were procured or held when they were not issued or required for long. 
  • Shortfall: 
    • The committee observed that there was extensive shortfall in the receipt of stores from ordnance factories from 2015-16 to 2017-18 in the case of “SCME/Extreme Cold Climate Clothing and Equipment” items. 
  • Less supply:
    • The percentage supply of most items from the factories remained at 50% or less for consecutive years. 
  • Corporatisation:
    • The PAC noted that, in the meanwhile, the factories had been corporatised and restructured into government companies. 
• Report Suggestions:
  • Implementing CICG:
    • The report suggests that all efforts should be made to fully implement Phase III of the Central Inventory Control Group (CICG) for effective inventory management and procurement.
  • Contracting process:
    • The PAC recommended an overhaul of the contracting process between the Defence Ministry and vendors. 
    • This would also aid in reduction of procurement timelines. 
  • Procurement processes:
    • The procurement processes could be expedited through hand-holding of new Defence Public Sector Undertakings (erstwhile ordnance factories) by the Ministry.
  • Collaborating with other countries:
    • The committee said the Ministry should collaborate with friendly countries with similar terrain/ geographical conditions and learn from their experiences for technical specifications. 
  • Periodic review:
    • Ministry should periodically review and get feedback from troops deployed in high altitude areas in terms of taste, quality and hygienic conditions of rations.
    • Ministry may fulfil assurance that there is no shortfall of High Altitude Clothing & Equipment in Indian Army and complete entitlement of soldiers is adequately met at all forward locations of their deployment.
  • Deployment of technical expertise:
    • Sufficient technical expertise is available in various Indian institutions, including the Indian Institutes of Technolgy, which could be deployed for projects in harsh terrains.

Source: TH