Centre keen to resolve internal conflicts: Army official

Centre is keen to resolve internal conflicts and a "hard decision" against Left Wing Extremists may be on anvil, a senior Army official said here on Saturday. Speaking at ninth Industry Defence Link meet here, GOC-in-C of Army's Eastern Command Lt Gen Anil Chauhan said Si-India border is relatively calm since Wuhan Conference held last year.

" Centre is keen to conclude talks with Nagas and is assessing its impact on Manipur and Arunachal Presh. It is t difficult to guess that a similar hard and long-pending decision on Left Wing Extremism may be on anvil," he said.

talks with Naga outfits were scheduled to be concluded on October 31, but Centre on that day anunced that deliberations were t yet completed and government will consult all stakeholders including states of Assam, Manipur and Arunachal Presh before finalisation of any settlement.

On requirements of Army in eastern frontier, Chauhan said, "We need night sights, aerial and ground surveillance platforms, ro construction and communication equipment." Chairman of Ordnance Factory Board, Kolkata, Hari Mohan, said OFB has recently received an order from Indian Army for 464 T-90 battle tanks. "It will take four to five years to complete Rs 20,000 crore order," he said.

OFB is also in process of receiving an order for 165 BMP armoured vehicles worth Rs 8,000 to 9,000 crore. "We are building 114 indigeus Dhanush artillery guns and Centre has sanctioned an order for ar 300 guns," he said. Mohan said 85 per cent work on building a futuristic amphibious infantry vehicle with missile-firing capability is completed. OFB Kolkata chairman said country has to import 65 per cent of its defence requirements.

Mohan said OFB has done reverse designing for Russian T-72 and T-90 tanks as techlogy from that country was complicated. Because of reverse designing, engines of Russian BMP vehicles - amphibious tracked infantry fighting vehicle - are w 100 per cent indigeus, he said.

Chairman of defence subcommittee of Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), A K Jain, said defence exports of country has increased from Rs 500 crore in 2010 to Rs 10,000 crore in 2019. Centre has set a target of Rs 35,000 crore annual defence exports by 2025, he ded.