New Delhi, June 16
Considered as the ‘backbone’ of the Indian Army’s rapid response to any attack along the western front for long, the Czech-built Tatra trucks may not be purchased from now on. The reason: India-built trucks have now improved a lot and could be selected for forthcoming expansion drive or replacements for Tatra trucks, resulting in saving foreign exchange and unhinging India’s reliance on foreign suppliers.
Purchase of Tatra trucks had become controversial and the contract of 1,676 high-mobility Tatra trucks was stopped after former Army Chief Gen VK Singh alleged in February 2012 that there was an attempt to bribe him for clearing the deal. The CBI then booked VRS Natarajan, chief of the Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML), in April last year. The BEML was the Indian partner of Tatra. A retired Army officer and a private individual have also been booked by the CBI.
Now ending Tatra’s monopoly in India, the Army has completed trials for two types of trucks to replace Tatra – the six-wheeled-drive high-mobility vehicle and the eight-wheeled-drive high-mobility vehicles. The plan is to buy 1,239 units of the first variety and another 255 of the second variety.
More….http://www.tribuneindia.com/2013/20130617/main3.htm