KATHMANDU, Nov 6: Nepali Army (NA) has started the procurement process of weapons worth two billion rupees. Sources claim that the army has started the process of bringing Colt Commando series weapons from America.
"The army has made final preparations to bring Colt Commando series weapons from America," said a top military source. Earlier, Nepal Police was going to purchase weapons worth 1.35 billion rupees. Out of that, the procurement process of arms worth Rs 840 million was started, but it was stopped due to protests. As for the NA, after the government approved the purchase of weapons worth two billion rupees, preparations are being made to bring them to Nepal.
"There has been some delay due to lack of dollars with the government. Weapons will come to Nepal as soon as the government arranges for dollars to be sent to America," the source said. According to the army, the sending of foreign currency worth two billion rupees to the US was stopped due to the latest directives of the Ministry of Finance and Nepal Rastra Bank.
Nepalese Army to buy military equipment from China at high cost
Similarly, the Ministry of Finance has said that despite the fact that Commander-in-Chief Sharma has talked about it several times, it is not possible to arrange for dollars before the elections. "Approval for the purchase of weapons has been given, the army has also started the process of bringing weapons from the US, but due to lack of dollars, it has been stopped for some time," said an official of the Ministry of Finance.
Sources in the ministry said that the army has also informed the Ministry of Finance about the fact that the government has not received the budget allocated for the army for the upcoming elections and Bunker to Barracks. The army is about to purchase new weapons while handing over its INSAS rifles and light support weapons (LSW) to the armed police and INSAS, SMGs and LMGs to the Nepal Police.
The government, which banned the purchase of arms for the Nepal Police on the grounds that the country's economic situation was weak, gave tacit approval to the army. Sources claim that the army has started the process of buying 6,000 M-16, M-4 weapons and pistols. The army kept this procurement process top secret citing national security reasons. Sources claim that there is a huge commission game in the purchase of army weapons. When Purna Chandra Thapa was the Chief of Army Staff, M16 weapons were brought from South Korea through middlemen. At a time when the country's economy is weak, Commander-in-Chief Sharma has pressured the Ministry of Finance to quickly arrange dollars for the purchase of these weapons.
NA to buy two million rounds of bullets from India
NA, which has been purchasing ammunition from a Chinese company for eight years, is going to get it from an Indian company this year. According to a top military source, the Indian company is going to provide the ammunition for the assault rifle used by the army. 5.56 mm bullets produced in a company in Andhra Pradesh, India are going to be sent to the army. According to the GtoG agreement between the Government of Nepal and India, although the bullet is about to be available, the Nepal Army and the Ministry of Defense have not made any opinion regarding it public.
With India giving two million rounds of ammunition, the ammunition that China has been providing for eight years has been reduced. "Earlier China was providing the same MM bullets, but this time India is sending two million rounds of bullets. The Chinese monopoly of eight years has been broken," said a senior military officer. Although most of the weapons used by the army are purchased from India, during the conflict, the weapons purchased from India by INSAS did not work on time, causing great damage.
“Since the incident, the army has stopped buying arms from India. The arms procurement process was stopped except for the ones that came under grant. Now, two million bullets are going to be purchased,” said the senior officer of the army.
