NDA's new Rafale deal was not on “better-terms” than the one decided under the UPA government, three senior defence ministry officials who were in the seven-member Indian Negotiating Team (INT) noted, as reported by The Hindu.

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According to the paper, the findings by the defence ministry officials directly opposed the two main claims: cheaper deal and faster delivery of fighter jets.

In an eight-page note, M P Singh, adviser (Cost), a joint secretary-level officer from the Indian Cost Accounts Service; A R Sule, financial manager (Air); and Rajeev Verma, joint secretary and acquisitions manager (Air), expressed deep concerns over the terms of the deal, said the report.

The officials, as per the report, said that the delivery schedule of the first 18 out of 36 Rafale fighter jets was slower than the one offered for the original procurement process.

According to the report, the officials further "registered serious concerns over the Indian government’s acceptance of a ‘Letter of Comfort’ in lieu of a sovereign or government guarantee or bank guarantees, legal issues relating to the IGA, offset issues, and Dassault Aviation’s restrictive trade practices."

First Published:Feb 13, 2019 9:35 AM IST