USE BADMAL ORDNANCE FACTORY FOR ROCKET MAKING’ Friday, 17 October 2014 | PNS | BHUBANESWAR | in Bhubaneswar

‘USE BADMAL ORDNANCE FACTORY FOR ROCKET MAKING’

Friday, 17 October 2014 | PNS | BHUBANESWAR | in Bhubaneswar

Rajya Sabha member AU Singh Deo has urged Defence Minister Arun Jaitely to upgrade the Ordnance Factory operating at Badmal in Balangir district for production of Pinaka rockets, capacity expansion of which have already been sanctioned by the Centre.

“To produce large number of rockets, an Ordnance Factor would need more land. The Badmal Ordnance Factory has 12,200 acres of land of which 5,000 acres are lying unused. Hence, the factory would be ideal choice for this capacity expansion,” Singh Deo said in a letter to the Defence Minister.

The Centre has sanctioned capacity expansion of Pinaka rockets from 1,000 rockets a year to 5,000.

Currently, two new variants of the rocket are undergoing evaluation and on completion of successful assessment, the requirement would go up to 12,000 rockets annually, Singh Deo pointed out in the letter. He suggested that the whole exercise should be undertaken in holistic manner instead in a piecemeal manner.

This would eliminate duplication of facilities and reduce costs, he pointed out.

Stating that Balangir is one of the backward districts of the country and don’t have any other Centre-run projects, Singh Deo urged the Minister to consider using the Badmal Ordnance Factory for production of rockets on a priority basis and thereby help in the economic development of the area.

“If the capacity expansion is taken up, it would boost the district’s economic activity,” he pointed out.

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