New Delhi,  The government has said that it accorded the Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) approval for procurement of military equipment worth Rs 1,83,778 crore since 2020-21.

The AoN is the first step towards any defence procurement, which is followed by tendering and contracting.

"In the period 2020-21 to 2022-23 (till June 30, 2022), 59 AoNs amounting to Rs 1,83,778.34 crore have been accorded and 91 contracts amounting to Rs 1,19,045.3 crore have been concluded," Minister of State for Defence Ajay Bhatt said while replying to a question in Lok Sabha on Friday.

"Capital acquisition of defence equipment is carried out as per provisions of Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP)," he said, adding that the DAP-2020 lays down the timelines for completion of acquisition activities.

Further, the activities are "regularly monitored so as to ensure finalisation of proposals and conclusion of contracts expeditiously", he added.