Tribune News Service

Vijay Mohan

Chandigarh, March 6

An Arbitral Tribunal in Jammu and Kashmir has ordered the Army’s Northern Command to pay a compensatory quantity of Rs 17.63 crore together with curiosity of one other Rs 11.9 crore to a personal agency for breach of the phrases of fee and different situations in a case pertaining to procurement of anti-mine boots.

In July 2018, as many as 6,250 pairs of Boot Anti Mine Infantry (BAMI) had been provided to the Northern Command for Rs 16.77 crore, for use as private protecting gear by troops deployed on the Line of Control (LoC).

The agency had contended earlier than the Tribunal, headed by Kartar Singh, a former district choose, that regardless of the acceptance of 6,250 pairs and its continued use by numerous models, Northern Command had withheld fee on grounds of “poor quality” and “non-compliance” with the General Staff Qualitative Requirements (GSQR) of the contract.

The agency’s counsel, Maj Guneet Chaudhary (retd) He claimed that as per official data, solely 0.0008 per cent accidents had taken place for the entire consignment and that each one accidents had been inside the permissible limits of the GSQR.

He added that the Army had falsely said that there was amputation of the limbs of the troopers and failed to supply any proof, Court of Inquiry proceedings or medical report in regards to the accidents or particular person who had misplaced his limb in the course of the arbitration proceedings.

Thirteen problems with argument had been framed within the case which went to the depths of the matter. The agency argued that the footwear met the phrases and situations of contract in gentle of the admissions of the military’s personal witnesses, statements by troopers who used BAMI on floor and the continual endorsement of the BAMI in Technical Evaluation Board, Inspection and Acceptance Board and y the Competent Financial Authority.

The complete award of about Rs 29 crore in favour of the agency contains the unique value of the footwear, curiosity payable until the date of order, arbitrators charges, litigation bills and miscellaneous expenses. Additional curiosity on the whole quantity could be relevant until realization of fee.