MUMBAI: In an exclusive interview with Bloomberg TV India, the country's leading English business news channel, Manohar Parrikar- Defence Minister, spoke for the first time after taking over as India’s defence minister. In his exclusive interview Parrikar discussed an extensive range of issues with Siddharth Zarabi - Executive Editor, Bloomberg TV India.
During the interview Parrikar emphasised on cleaning up the tainted defence procurement process and also pointed out that decision taken by UPA government of blacklisting of numerous foreign firms was the wrong approach and would be reviewed immediately by the current government. In conversation with the channel, Mr. Parrikar highlighted that corruption in India's defence systems is nothing less an anti-national activity and he spoke about blacklisting defence contractors on immediate basis.
Commenting on blacklisting defence contractors Parrikar said, “I think there needs to be some decision on the issue of blacklisting. We need various platforms such as aerial- helicopters, planes, and there are probably few manufacturers to do that. So some sort of exercise has been carried out by my predecessor Jaitley and I intend to take it forward so that we can protect ourselves. The number of suppliers in some of the items probably is very few and we just cannot paint everyone in black. There have to be proper guidelines for blacklisting; otherwise we will run out of defence contractors/suppliers.”
Commenting on corruption in defence Parrikar said, “I consider corruption in defence as an anti-national activity. Therefore there will be transparency and every decision will be in the interest of the country. And I will tell you one thing, there may be corruption, in general, in defence procurement, but to stay with a clean image for 20 years in a small state like Goa itself is a stupendous task which I have managed to achieve. I think that is because I have the concept of transparency and how to ensure a transparent but quick decision.”
To watch the exclusive interview, log on to
http://www.btvin.com/videos/watch/9631/to-take-forward-jaitley%27s-steps-on-blacklisted-firms:-manohar-parrikar
