Army Chief for Defence Planning Commission

"There is need for a defence planning commission...I feel our defence budget is not a plan. I don`t mean to say people are not planning for it. All I mean to say it is not like the Planning Commission," Gen Singh said, addressing a seminar on Indigenisation of Defence Forces.

"Whenever the Planning Commission plans something, money has to be spent on it. It cannot be taken out," he said.

Singh said the money allocated for the defence forces is often pulled out to finance other government projects.

"Defence budget is given to forces by the Defence Ministry. There are other projects in deficit financing with the Government of India. So, when they feel the requirement for a particular project is not getting financed, brakes are applied on your schemes for modernisation and ultimately this money is taken out as the financial year comes to a close," he said.

He said, "For the first time we were able to spend all the money allocated for modernisation in the last financial year.

But I don`t know whether this trend will continue." Stressing on the need for indigenisation of defence forces, Singh called for improved participation of private companies and public sector undertakings (PSUs).

"I am a great believer that our industries can produce world-class technologies and products," he added.