Proposal to get 56 transport planes cleared: Jaitley

New Delhi: A proposal to procure 56 transport aircraft as replacement for AVRO aircraft through ‘Buy & Make’ route has been accorded approval by the Defence Acquisition Council, Defence Minister Arun Jaitley told the Lok Sabha today. Forty of these aircraft will be manufactured in India by an Indian production agency from the private sector and the agency will be chosen by the original equipment manufacturer (OEM), he said in reply to a question.[caption id=“attachment_1624843” align=“alignnone” width=“300”] Union Defence Minister Arun Jaitley. PTI[/caption] The Council had taken the decision in a meeting on 23 July 2012. The bid submission date has been extended up to 28 August this year, he said. In another reply, he said the government is aware of Chinese participation in Indian Ocean Region (IOR) in development projects like ports as well as in anti-piracy operations and deep sea mining. Government keeps a constant watch on all developments concerning national security and economic interests and takes necessary measures to safeguard them, in accordance with the prevailing security situation and strategic considerations, he said. PTI