MoD confirms resignation of key panel head

The head of a panel set up to overcome the problems of delayed acquisition of defence equipment has put in his papers after differences over the mechanism of a new procurement body, top defence ministry sources have confirmed to this newspaper.

“The resignation of Vivek Rae stands confirmed,” defence ministry sources said.

Mr Rae, former director general (acquisition) in the defence ministry till his retirement in 2012, was reined in to head the panel. He put in his papers early last month. A 1978 Union Territory cadre IAS officer, he was also a member of the 7th Pay Commission.

The committee for “Restructuring of the Acquisition Wing to make it more effective’ was set up in May 2016, and was a result of the fallout of the Dhirendra Singh Committee, which had given inputs for the new Defence Procurement Policy. The panel was to submit its report in August but the deadline was extended. “Although the report is now complete, the fate of the committee and its recommendations is in the realm of speculations now,” the sources added.

The sources added that the differences arose over the fact that while the government officials in the acquisition wing strongly vouched for a centralised model of design, development, procurement and maintenance, Mr Rae favoured a model where the policy is created centrally but agencies procure equipment on their own.

Besides Mr Rae, the panel included former financial adviser to the defence ministry Amit Cowshish, Air Marshal N.V. Tyagi (Retd), Lt. Gen. A.V. Subramanian (Retd) among others.

IIM professor Pritam Singh and defence ministry officials J.R.K. Rao and Sanjay Garg.