— PHOTO: PTI

ON HOMEGROUND: Kerala Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan welcomes Defence Minister A.K. Antony on his arrival at the Southern Naval command in Kochi on Sunday.

KOCHI: The incorporation of the Integrity Pact in defence contracts will usher in transparency in the sector, Defence Minister A.K. Antony said.

The pact has penal provisions to ensure that there are no underhand dealings in arms purchases.

Addressing mediapersons at the Southern Naval Command here on Sunday after delivering the keynote address at a seminar on maritime issues and challenges, he said the 12-member Defence Acquisition Council with him as the Chairman, takes joint decisions on defence purchases.

The Council has as members the chiefs of the three services and officials from related departments. The integrated Council was formed to counter corruption and speed up decision-making in military procurements.

Answering a query on the terrorist threat to the country from the seas, he said the Navy, Coast Guard and personnel of coastal police stations must act in coordination, to thwart attempts to attack our coastal assets.

"Joint patrolling by the navies of India and Sri Lanka has been suggested, to keep trouble-makers at bay. We already have unmanned aerial vehicles to do surveillance of the coast. Three offshore-patrol vessels and more helicopters will be commissioned into the Navy."

Referring to the nation's first indigenous aircraft carrier under construction in Cochin Shipyard, Mr. Antony said the vessel will roll out as scheduled, in 2012. "We will place orders with the shipyard for more warships, if the delivery is on time."

He said Special Economic Zones should not be at the cost of peasants. Development clusters like port-based SEZs must not cause land-speculation. "The peasant is the bedrock of our society and economy."

Referring to the deliberations at the maritime seminar, Mr. Antony said that common people must be accorded primacy, instead of concentrating on grand projects alone.

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