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| Indian truck mounted Pinaka Artillery Rocket Launcher |
By VIVEK RAGHUVANSHI
NEW DELHI — India’s spending on military vehicles has dropped slightly, despite the fact that defense forces have been urging faster vehicle procurement.
The budget allocation for military vehicles for the year 2013-14 is 20.8 billion rupees ($383 million) compared with an allocation of 22.6 billion rupees in 2012-13 and an actual spending of 23.5 billion rupees in 2011-12.
The drop in spending is even steeper when compared with the rupee’s declining value against the dollar. Three years ago, 48 rupees equaled $1, and now it takes 54 rupees.
The Indian Army still has failed to finalize purchases of armored personnel carriers and strike vehicles, which, according to an Indian Defence Ministry source, is the reason for the “near stagnation” on spending. The Indian Army has not purchased about 100 personnel carriers, the tender for which was first floated in 2009.
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