During a meeting of the Defence
Acquisition Council (DAC) scheduled this week, the Defence Ministry will
also discuss deals worth around Rs 15,000 crore for procuring Apache
attack helicopters and Chinook heavylift choppers for the IAF from the
US, Defence Ministry officials said.
The DAC, headed by Defence Minister Arun Jaitley, is scheduled to
take up the deal for discussion in its meeting where it is expected to
decide its fate, they said.
The 197 light utility choppers are to be procured for the Army and
the IAF who use them for ferrying troops and supplies in high altitude
areas such as Siachen Glacier and would be used to replace the vintage
Cheetah/Chetak choppers which were inducted 40 years ago.
CBI has been probing allegations against the Brigadier which surfaced
during investigations into the VVIP chopper deal about the alleged
involvement of AgustaWestland in paying kickbacks to secure the Indian
contract for 12 VVIP choppers.
CBI probe was ordered by the Defence Ministry after the Army
requested it to investigate the charges against the Brigadier before
taking any decision on the future developments in the deal.
Allegations have been levelled against the Brigadier in a letter
allegedly sent by an AgustaWestland official in India to his superiors
in Italy saying the officer was seeking USD 5 million for facilitating
the deal in their favour.
Only two firms European Eurocopter and Russian Kamov are left in the
race for the deal to supply 197 light choppers to the Army and the IAF
as AgustaWestland was knocked out of the deal in the preliminary stages
itself.
The deal for procuring 197 light choppers has already been cancelled
once in 2007 in the last stages. The Brigadier has denied the charges
made against him.
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