NEW DELHI: The Ministry of Defence has expressed Indias concern in its annual report for 1990-91 at the support that the separatists in Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir have been receiving from across the border.

While India has made tangible progress in its relations with the neighboring countries in the past one year some of the developments in these countries particularly in Pakistan continue to cause security concern to India according to the Defence Ministry report.

The report says that India has been making concerted efforts to improve relations with Pakistan and to this effect meetings and talks were held Secretary levels in the recent past.

In addition it has continued with its clandestine development of weapon oriented nuclear program and its efforts to acquire ballistic missiles and technology. The report has taken note of the reports that Pakistan is availing of Chinese assistance. The report says that the govt continues to monitor developments in this regard in order to take necessary measures to safeguard country’s security.

The report also shows concern at the proliferation of nuclear weapons technology and of ballistic missiles in the neighborhood.

The report says that Indias relations with China had registered a perceptible improvement and so did the relations with Maldives. Misunderstandings that had clouded the traditional relations between Nepal and India had been dispelled to a large extent. The Indo-Bangladesh relations also witnessed a positive improvement.

The report puts the total defence expenditure in the revised estimates for the year at Rs.15750 crores While Rs.8.79963 crore were spent on the Army Rs.1.978 crore on the Navy Rs 8,730,22 crore on the Air Force and Rs 557.15 crore on defence production and supplies the amount spent on research and development was Rs 685 crore.

The Army paid special attention to the modernization and cost effectiveness of expenditure. A phased program of modernization of old equipment has been worked out with the replacement of old guns. The emphasis was now to improve the existing 105mm Indian field gun to a lighter version. The report further states that the existing tanks have been modernized. The Army has also commenced trials on the indigenously developed MBT Arjun while T-72 tanks BMP-2 infantry combat vehicles have already started rolling out of factories The Navy had acquired off-shore patrol vessels missile corvettes anti-submarine warfare patrol vessels Sea King helicopters and a submarine during the year. The very low frequency communication station (INS Katta born man) was commissioned for submarines. The naval air station Arakonam is likely to become operational by the middle of this year.

The Air Force had reequipped its aircraft Additional MIG-29 MIG-27 and Mirage 2000 were inducted and Mi 38 and Mi 60 helicopters were augmented

The report refers to the efforts being made for the export of defence items for getting foreign exchange. Such exports the report says will be made to friendly countries subject to periodic assessment of the international situation.

Article extracted from this publication >> August 9, 1991