Defence Ministry to buy scanners to screen trucks

Aiming to check illegal entry of banned materials in India, the Defence Ministry on Monday approved buying full body scanners for trucks making cross-country trips.

The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) under the chairmanship of Defence Minister A K Antony on Monday approved buying two such scanners for trucks at a cost of Rs 60 crore, said a spokesperson of the ministry. The scanning equipment is required by the security forces to be deployed at places in Jammu and Kashmir where cross-border trade routes have been opened across the Line of Control.

The Army sought to procure the two scanners to scan cargo trucks, including driver’s cabin, without unloading and unpacking the cargo.

The aim is to avoid illegal transshipment of restricted items like arms, ammunition and chemicals. No other big-ticket deals were on the agenda of the DAC, which gave its nod to buy a large number of components for surveillance and e-warfare projects.