Modernization of Army Base Workshops is ‘plagued with administrative inefficiency’: CAG Report

By Sumit Kumar SingNew Delhi, Nov 30, : The modernization of Army Base Workshops was plagued with administrative inefficiency, delays in the decision to implement the modernisation project either on a turnkey basis or through a combination procurement and other, the Comptroller & Auditor General reported in its Tuesday report.

On Tuesday, Parliament received the report Modernisation and Implementation of the Government Owned Contractor Operated (GOCO Model.

Army Base Workshops are responsible for repairs and overhauls of weapons, vehicles, and equipment of the Indian Army.Army Headquarters initiated a case to modernize these workshops in June 2006 due to their outdated infrastructure and available plant and machinery "Modernization of these workshops was plagued with administrative inefficiency, delay in decision to execute modernisation project either turnkey or through a combination procurement/works," stated the CAG in its report.

Based on the recommendation of Committee of Experts in 2017, the Army decided to corporatise workshops using GOCO model and foreclosed its modernisation programme.The CAG stated that Rs 9.46 crore was spent on the preparation of Detailed Project Reports, (DPRs), for modernisation of these workshops.The implementation of GOCO model is being delayed.

December 2019 marked the expiration of the original timeline for implementing GOCO.The implementation of GOCO is fraught with operational challenges and risks, as identified by the Headquarters Base Workshop Group.

The report also stated 385 of the 1,077 civilian workers in closed station and static workshops are idle.This could lead to the same situation in workshops if these issues are not addressed during implementation of the GOCO Model.

The audit recommended that the Ministry of Defence develop a strategy to reduce all risks, including the deployment of existing manpower to GOCO implementation, and to ensure that GOCO is implemented and/or modernized of workshops without further delay.sk/v #Workshops #plagued #administrative #inefficiency #Delhi.