New Delhi, October 29, 2011: With Ministry of Defence and Orissa
government locking horns over extension of lease for area in and around
Chandipur Interim Test Range (ITR) in the state to Defence Research and
Development Organisation (DRDO), the Indian missile and rocket development
programs are hanging fire.
Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has shot a letter to
defence minister AK Antony last month refusing to extend the lease and asking
for shifting of the test range, which has sent the security establishment in a
tizzy.
According to sources, Orissa government had given the land in
45 km radius around Chandipur to the premier military research organization
DRDO for carrying out rocket, guns and missile tests on a three year lease
subject to renewal. For this two notifications were issued one for allocating
the area and other pertaining to the tests posing any danger to population in
the area.
“One of these notifications has already expired and the
other is due in a couple of months,” sources said. The land
around the test range is important as the empty shells of rockets and guns
generally fall in the area and are security hazard.
The Orissa government has been refusing to issue fresh
notification in the case, contending that it intends to develop four ports
between Paradip and Dhamra ports along the eastern coastline.
Since its establishment Chandipur is considered a precious
test range of pre and post independence India. Even during the world wars, it
played a significant role in demolishing the opposition Army and Navy. A number of test vehicles of different class
including multirole missile Trishul, multi-target capability missile Akash, the
antitank Nag missile, the most precise surface-to-surface missile Prithvi and
the Agni-I large scale technology demonstrator have been test fired from this
range. ITR has also supported a number of other missions such as Multibarrel
Rocket Launcher—Pinaka and Pilotless Target Aircraft (PTA).
With state government refusing to budge, the defence
ministry immediately dispatched Scientific Advisor to Raksha Mantri (SA to RM)
and DRDO chief Dr. VK Saraswat to discuss the matter with Orissa Chief
Minister.
“In a lengthy meeting SA to RM tried to impress upon the
state government that it is not possible to shift the missile testing range
from Chandipur. He also explained that the proposed four ports would lead to
hectic commercial activity along the coastline making the testing difficult
from Wheeler Island and Chandipur” sources added. Dr. Saraswat suggested that
the ports should not come up and also a fresh notification should be issued
soon. But so far, no word has come from the state government.
DRDO has established a full blown infrastructure at the
range with a number of tracking instruments being deployed to cover the total
flight path of the test vehicles
The ongoing tussle between the Orissa government and the MoD
could prove costly for the rocket development programme as DRDO plans to
develop a rocket with 70 km range. “DRDO would be requiring more area to test rockets with
longer range. But this new development can put the project in limbo,” the
sources added.
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