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CAG flags delay in work on corvettes:
CAG condemns delay in construction of anti-submarine warfare corvettes
Context
- The Comptroller and Auditor-General (CAG) has condemned the Navy and Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Ltd. for delay in construction of anti-submarine warfare corvettes and hampering their capabilities because of delayed decisions.
The report
- The report claims that the approved designs got amended 24 times till as late as last year.
- Against the 18 weapons and sensors to be installed on ASW corvettes, audit observed that the two ASW corvettes delivered were not fitted with ‘X’ weapon and sensor systems.
- Thus, ASW corvettes will not be able to put to its full potential as envisaged.
Reason behind the delay
- The report noted that while the Letter of Intent (LoI) was issued in March 2003, only a sketchy specification of the ship was made available to Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Limited (GRSE).
- The finalization of system design as well as specification of equipment, weapon and sensor fit were to be undertaken by the Directorate of Naval Design.
- Due to the major design modifications, the cost went up from the original sanction of Rs.3,051.27 crore to Rs. 7,852.39 crores.
- The auditor also noted that harbor acceptance trials (HATs) were still pending as of December 2016 in respect of the second ASW Corvette for over a year.
