How LAC became new LOC is also visible in the budget
This was also reflected in the budget presented in Parliament on Wednesday. The total budget for defense is Rs 5.93 lakh crore, in which Rs 4.2 lakh crore is revenue budget and 1.71 lakh crore capital budget. Capital budget is used to buy new weapons, equipment. While the revenue budget includes everything from salary to maintenance of weapons, equipment, their upgradation, ammunition, spares parts, living arrangements for soldiers etc. Now, if we exclude salary from this, then excluding salary, the revenue budget has increased by 44% as compared to last year. It was Rs 62431 crore last year which has increased to Rs 90000 crore in the budget estimate this time.
The Ministry of Defense also said that the increased revenue budget will be used for the maintenance of warships, aircraft including weapon systems and platforms, their upgradation, procurement of ammunition, spares parts and completion of military reserve stocking. Last time, the estimated budget of revenue excluding salary had increased considerably in the revised budget. Because of the tension with China in the Line of Actual Control, infrastructure was built there for the troops to stay in emergency, including permanent structures. Also many tanks were deployed there. This was the third consecutive winter that troops, including tanks and other military equipment, were continuously stationed there. Winter kits were installed in the tanks, arrangements were made to keep weapons including soldiers safe in that icy cold. Along with this, ammunition was also stocked.
Only last month, Indian Army Chief General Manoj Pandey told that about 55,000 of our soldiers are stationed in Eastern Ladakh for whom habitats (shelters) have been made. Covered heated shelters were built for about 400 guns and 500 tanks and infantry vehicles and Rs 1300 crore was spent on infrastructure and habitat in the last three years. It is clearly visible in the revenue budget that due to tension on LAC, how a large part of the budget is going there.
