Defence scams maligned India's image, says Mamata

Kolkata, March 22 (IANS) Claiming that "scams in defence deals" have maligned India's image, West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee Saturday called for procurement of defence equipment through a "transparent e-processing".

"The scams that have taken place in defence procurements have maligned India's image, so we want e-tendering into all defence procurements," Banerjee told media persons here while launching her party's manifesto.

Asserting that national security was one of Trinamool's uppermost priorities, Banerjee said: "Much like we have started e-tendering, e-services, e-procurement in our state, we would like to introduce them in defence deals."

The party in its manifesto has also spoken of putting more efforts on self-reliance and indigenous production, besides "emphasizing on proper maintenance of defence assets on the basis of regular checking and monitoring mechanism as also fresh acquisition on need basis".

Attacking the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the Telangana issue, Banerjee said her party in the manifesto has made it clear that no bifurcation of a state can be done without the permission of the state government concerned.

"Both the Congress and the BJP will have to face the music for forcibly passing the Telangana bill, that too by keeping the people in the dark. Without the clearance of the state government, no state can be bifurcated.

"We do not accept the way the CPI-M, Congress and BJP ignored parliamentary courtesy and procedures in passing the Telangana bill," added Banerjee.