Not standing with the ongoing controversy over the pricing of Rafale Deal (Jets), The Narendra Modi led Centre government is moving ahead with the scheduled procedure and has taken the next step by issuing 25 percent payment due to the French government in the over Rs 59,000 crore deal. This was revealed by the news agency ANI quoting Top Air Force sources.
Sources told News Agency ANI that first aircraft would be delivered as per the schedule. The jets would be put to extensive testing by Indian pilots to evaluate the India-specific enhancements.
‘More than 25 percent of the payments have been made to the French government for the deal as part of the contractual terms and conditions of the project. The amount of the payment is being paid to the French government as the contract is government to government, as quoted by News Agency ANI in its report.
The first batch of four aircraft to be delivered to the IAF by the middle of 2020 would be equipped with advanced avionics and sensors, top sourced told ANI
The government had ordered 36 Rafale Jets in September 2016. The deal to purchase 36 Rafale fighter jets was inked during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to France in 2016. Dassault Aviation is manufacturing 36 advanced fighter jets with India-specific requirements.
Congress has repeatedly criticized the deal for the 36 Rafale jets, alleging that the government was procuring each aircraft at a cost of over Rs 1,670 crore as against Rs 526 crore finalized by the UPA government.
Ever Since the Supreme Court verdict came on Rafale Deal, both Congress and the ruling Bhartiya Janta Party are launching scathing attacks with the former alleging of Government misleading the Apex Court with CAG Report while the ruling is attacking the Congress of Misleading people about the Deal for electoral gain.