Gandhinagar/New Delhi: Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday said the purchase of ammunition and other assets for the armed forces is a continuous process and asserted that “gaps”, if any, will be filled expeditiously.
She said that she had “not spoken anything about (a) CAG report” which had stated that the armed forces have ammunition that could last only for 20 days in the event of a war.
“A question was asked to me on Sunday in Barmer as to whether the Indian Army faces shortage of ammunition. I told reporters that in the Army, purchasing ammunition is a continuous process, sometimes some type of ammunition is purchased, sometimes other, as per the requirement,” Ms Sitharaman told reporters at the BJP headquarters here.
Later, the defence minister said Sir Creek, located on the Gujarat border with Pakistan, is a “very important place” for national security, particularly Gujarat’s security.
The minister said she would visit Sir Creek to ascertain what needs to be done for the defence of Gujarat’s border and spend some time with the security force personnel posted there to boost their morale.
“I am going up to Sir Creek today to see what requires to be done for the defence of Gujarat border. Sir Creek is a very important place not only for the national security but particularly for Gujarat's security,” Ms Sitharaman told reporters.
“During the 2012 Gujarat Assembly elections, the Centre (UPA government) wanted to do something about Sir Creek. At that time even during the campaigning, then Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi was worried about it as it concerned Gujarat’s security and had taken up that issue,” she said. “I am privileged to go to Sir Creek as a defence minister,” she said.
Ninety-six-km-long Sir Creek is a tidal estuary on the Indo-Pak border and opens up into the Arabian Sea.
