'Defence funds crunch' storm takes shocking turn

Defence Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav's pungent views at a public meeting further strengthen fears that India's defence requirements may suffer due to the resource crunch.

In a shocking turn-about in his ''funds will flow'' optimism, Yadav asked the prime minister to ensure that the resource crunch did not affect the defence projects.

''No government worth its name could abdicate its responsibility by giving the excuse that there is a resource crunch,'' the defence minister told the prime minister at the 23rd Defence Research and Development Organisation director's conference on Sunday. ''It's the Centre's duty to generate adequate resources to ensure that the progress of the country did not suffer.''

Making an indirect reference to the Agni missile, the defence minister also reportedly said that private funds could be tapped for the project.

Ignoring Mulayam Yadav's suggestion, the prime minister said, ''No scientific project would suffer for want of funds.''

The defence minister has declared on more than one occasion in Parliament and outside that the next phase of 2,500-km intermediate range ballistic missile, Agni was being accorded top priority.

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