New Delhi: Army personnel engaged in almost daily battles with heavily-armed militants in Jammu and Kashmir are facing a huge shortage of 2.5 lakh bullet-proof jackets and a Parliamentary committee has pulled up the government for the shortfall.

Expressing "alarm and concern", the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence said it was disturbing that there was such a major shortfall in such jackets essential for the armed forces personnel's operational role in the line of control (LoC) and in its counter-insurgency operations.

In its 19th report tabled in both the Houses of Parliament, the committee members said it was more shocking that the huge shortage existed even when action to procure bullet-proof jackets had been initiated as far back as 1988-89 when counter-insurgency operations were first initiated in Jammu and Kashmir.

In the information given to the committee, the Defence Ministry said so far during more than a decade 1,24,640 bullet-proof jackets had been acquired through imports and indigenous production.

Though the imported jackets are said to be lighter, weighing 4.5 kg to domestic ones' 5.5 kg, they cost almost double than those produced locally.

The committee has recommended that required number of bullet-proof jackets of quality in conformity with international standards must be procured either from Indian sources or from imports in a time-bound manner.

PTI