The bank guarantees of Reliance Naval and Engineering Limited, which has an order to supply five offshore patrol vessels, have been encashed, Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba said today, asserting that the group was not being given preferential treatment. At his annual Navy Day press conference, the Navy Chief was responding to a question on whether action was being taken against the Anil Ambani-run firm for late delivery of these vessels. According to reports, the Rs. 2,500 crore order for Naval Offshore Patrol Vessels was bagged in 2011 by Pipavav Defence, which was taken over by Reliance Naval. The first ship was to be delivered by early 2015. However, the first two ships were only launched in July last year.
