Budget cut won't hit armed forces' operational preparedness: AK Antony

BANGALORE: Defence Minister A K Antony today said the Finance Ministry's slashing of the defence budget by Rs 10,000 crore will not come in way of modernisation and priority areas of operational preparedness of armed forces.

"There is recession globally and we are not an island. We are also affected by it. We have to tighten in all areas for a better future. This year, consciously government is tightening (expenditure). As a result all departments of the government have been tightening.

"I can tell you...we will not reduce the budget for priority areas and operational preparedness. Areas in which expenditure is essential for operational preparedness, there is no question of any cut," he said at the Aero India press conference here.

The Defence Ministry was "anxious" to secure more funds from the Centre for defence forces but the government was passing through "difficult times" and everyone was getting affected by it, Antony said.

He said there was a cut of around Rs 10,000 crore in the defence budget for this year's allocation of Rs 1.93 lakh crore from the capital account for modernisation of armed forces.