Military modernisation and progress must go together, says Bipin Rawat
New Delhi: Underscoring the strong linkage between the foreign investment flow into India and the situation at the country’s borders as well as the internal security scenario, Army Chief General Bipin Rawat said on Thursday that India’s economic development must go hand-in-hand with modernisation of the Armed Forces.
Stating that economic development takes place only if the country is secure, the chief said during a seminar: “We have to build and develop confidence among the investors that the nation’s borders are secure and the internal security situations are under control for which there is a requirement for budget for the defence forces.”
“Economic development and military modernisation must go hand-in-hand”, he added.
Referring to the defence budget, General Rawat, quoting an internal study by the Army, said 35-37 per cent of the annual budget given to the force contributes towards nation building.
“If you are developing roads and infrastructure in remote areas of the country, they benefit the local population. The armed forces in the remotest locations are providing facilities of education and health care to people where government has not yet been able to reach out,” the Army Chief said.
Giving examples of expenditure, the Army chief also spoke of the money spent on sending Indian troops for various UN missions.
He said though the Army spends money on the troops, the reimbursement from the United Nations does not come to the Army and the amount goes to the Consolidated Fund of India.
About Rs 4 lakh crore worth of military procurement involving 136 proposals were cleared by the government in the last three years as part of efforts to modernise the Armed Forces.
