New norms bar forces from getting jammers

In a surprise move, the defence forces have been barred from procuring jammers under new guidelines unveiled on Thursday by the government which will now allow only states’ police and jail authorities and Central security agencies like, IB and RAW, to buy the equipment.

The decision to keep defence forces out of the list of authorised agencies is significant as questions were raised on the now-defunct Army’s Technical Sup-port Division.

The TSD, which was set up during the tenure of the controversial former Army chief (now Union minister) Gener-al V.K. Singh, who was accused of carrying out unauthorised operations.

The jammers imported by the TSD for evaluation purpose could not be accounted for after the government decided to close the TSD.

“Jammers can be procured only by states’ police department and jail authorities, and Central government sec-urity agencies like RAW and IB,” the new policy said.

There was no mention of defence forces being allowed to procure in the new guidelines.

It modifies last year guidelines which had “Defence Forces” among other authorised agencies that can buy jammers.