Union Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar has ordered the ministry to route all top secret files and operational issues directly through him, effectively locking out Minister of State for defence Subhash Bhamre, reports The Economic Times.
Parrikar issued an order on 11 August to not pass certain issues through Bhamre, overriding an earlier order passed on 18 July, giving more power to the MoS.
Bhamre was appointed as MoS Defence, in place of Inderjit Rao Singh on 6 July. Before his exit, Singh had sought a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry into “unfair selection” by the ministry’s acquisition wing, according to The Economic Times.
The order renders the junior ministers almost powerless as all the operational matters related to armed forces and Coast Guards, matters related to Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), strategic systems and all tops files have to go through the Defence Minister.
This order also includes higher level promotions in the armed forces.
An official familiar with the matter added that the order was not directly aimed at the current Mos but at the office of the Minister of State. The reason behind the move is an effort to curb information leaks, the official added.
(Source: The Economic Times)
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