All ordnance factories depots to continue, no employee to be retrenched: Jaitley

New Delhi [India], Aug.11 (ANI): Defence Minister Arun Jaitley today assured the Lok Sabha before it adjourned sine die that all Ordnance Factories Depots (OFD) will continue to operate and no employee will be retrenched. Replying to supplementaries in the Lok Sabha, Jaitley said the core competence of OFDs are ammunition manufacturing and allayed fears of the members that any ordnance factories depots will be closed. He also reassured the members that the defence forces have adequate equipment and preparedness for any eventualities. Jaitley asserted that government is taking measures for modernisation of the armed forces. He said modernisation of armed forces is a continuous process undertaken as per the extant Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP) to keep the forces in a state of readiness to meet operational and security challenges. The minister said through inducting of new equipment and upgrading of existing equipment and systems modernisation projects are progressed. The defence minister said government is taking steps to promote indigenisation and self reliance in the defence sector. Jaitley said these measures include according high priority and preference to procurement from Indian vendors and liberalisation of the licensing regime. He also said government has promulgated the policy on strategic partnership in the defence sector intended to institutionalise a transparent and objective mechanism to encourage broader participation of the private sector in manufacture of major defence platforms and equipment. The minister said to promote the participation of private sector, outsourcing and vendor development guidelines have been formulated. (ANI)