Member of the standing committee on Defence Eduardo Faleiro has raised questions on the Scorpene submarine deal between India and France calling it a setback for the indigenous submarine-building programme.In a signed statement, the Congress Rajya Sabha MP has demanded that the ‘‘Defence ministry must disclose the reasons for the Scorpene deal.’’ He has also asked the ‘‘Government to inform the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence as to the status of the indigenous project of submarine building.’’Faleiro pointed out that the Navy had a 30-year submarine building plan that was ‘‘intended to beat the de-facto submarine technology control regime as well as revive building activities at the Mazagaon docks.’’ The proposal, he says, was to build 20 submarines at an ‘‘approximate cost of Rs 15,000 crore over a period up to 2025.’’ With technology from German submarine-maker HDW and modifications by the Naval Submarine Design Bureau, the indigenous project, known as Project 75, was launched.While the indigenous programme was projected to be Rs 15,000 crore for 20 submarines, the Scorpene deal, says Faliero, will cost Rs 12,500 crore for ‘‘six SKD/CKD kits intended for assembly at the Mazagaon docks.’’
