ID :
27378
Thu, 10/30/2008 - 11:14
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http://m.oananews.org//node/27378
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CAG asks NAL to shelve plans to build 70 seater aircraft
New Delhi, Oct 29 (PTI) The Comptroller and Auditor
General (C.A.G.) has asked the National Aerospace Laboratories
(N.A.L.) to virtually shelve its plans to build a 70-seater
passenger aircraft citing tardy progress on the 15-seater
Saras plane.
The N.A.L., a laboratory under the Council of Scientific
and Industrial Research (C.S.I.R.) has been engaged in
development of basic trainer aircraft Hansa and 15-seater
passenger Saras for the past two decades.
"Keeping in view the poor market demand for Hansa, the
tardy progress and cost overrun in development of Saras,
Ministry/C.S.I.R. may reconsider the proposed plan for
development of a 70 seater regional transport aircraft," the
C.A.G. said in its report presented to Parliament last week.
The Working Group on C.S.I.R. for the 11th Plan had
proposed design and development of a 70-seater regional
transport aircraft by N.A.L.
The C.A.G. rapped N.A.L. for importing 28 seats for Saras
in July 2002 at a cost of Rs 80 lakh which had not been fitted
to the aircraft till date.
"The reasons for non-utlisation of seats even after
expiry of five years from the date of receipt were not found
on record," the Auditor said, adding that N.A.L.stated in July
2007 that the seats would be installed after the Directorate
General of Civil Aviation certified the aircraft.
"Due to advanced procurement of these seats worth Rs 80
lakh, the amount remained blocked for more than five years.
CSIR did not offer any comments on the issue," the C.A.G.
said.
The C.A.G. also pulled up N.A.L. for using imported items
in the development of Hansa, a basic trainer aircraft.
It pointed out that the Research Council of N.A.L. had in
March 2000 recommended that priority should be given to
indigenous systems, provided there was no basic compromise on
technical requirements.
"Scrutiny revealed that in the process of manufacturing
of the aircraft, N.A.L. had imported all the components as the
work of development of the aircraft was initiated without
developing the components," the C.A.G. said.
"Despite the first and foremost objective of 'indigenous
development' of aircraft as envisaged in the 1980s, N.A.L.
continues to depend on imported components for design and
development of Hansa," it said.
General (C.A.G.) has asked the National Aerospace Laboratories
(N.A.L.) to virtually shelve its plans to build a 70-seater
passenger aircraft citing tardy progress on the 15-seater
Saras plane.
The N.A.L., a laboratory under the Council of Scientific
and Industrial Research (C.S.I.R.) has been engaged in
development of basic trainer aircraft Hansa and 15-seater
passenger Saras for the past two decades.
"Keeping in view the poor market demand for Hansa, the
tardy progress and cost overrun in development of Saras,
Ministry/C.S.I.R. may reconsider the proposed plan for
development of a 70 seater regional transport aircraft," the
C.A.G. said in its report presented to Parliament last week.
The Working Group on C.S.I.R. for the 11th Plan had
proposed design and development of a 70-seater regional
transport aircraft by N.A.L.
The C.A.G. rapped N.A.L. for importing 28 seats for Saras
in July 2002 at a cost of Rs 80 lakh which had not been fitted
to the aircraft till date.
"The reasons for non-utlisation of seats even after
expiry of five years from the date of receipt were not found
on record," the Auditor said, adding that N.A.L.stated in July
2007 that the seats would be installed after the Directorate
General of Civil Aviation certified the aircraft.
"Due to advanced procurement of these seats worth Rs 80
lakh, the amount remained blocked for more than five years.
CSIR did not offer any comments on the issue," the C.A.G.
said.
The C.A.G. also pulled up N.A.L. for using imported items
in the development of Hansa, a basic trainer aircraft.
It pointed out that the Research Council of N.A.L. had in
March 2000 recommended that priority should be given to
indigenous systems, provided there was no basic compromise on
technical requirements.
"Scrutiny revealed that in the process of manufacturing
of the aircraft, N.A.L. had imported all the components as the
work of development of the aircraft was initiated without
developing the components," the C.A.G. said.
"Despite the first and foremost objective of 'indigenous
development' of aircraft as envisaged in the 1980s, N.A.L.
continues to depend on imported components for design and
development of Hansa," it said.
