New Delhi, Jan 21 (Reporter) Ministry of Defence (MoD) on Tuesday signed a contract with Heavy Vehicles Factory, a unit of Armoured Vehicle Nigam Limited, for the procurement of 47 Tank-72 Bridge Laying Tanks (BLT) for the Indian Army worth Rs 1,560.52 crore. The contract was inked by senior officials of MoD and HVF/AVNL in the presence of Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh here, a Defence Ministry statement said. The BLT is a critical equipment which is employed to launch bridges during offensive and defensive operations by mechanised forces. It provides integral bridging capability to the tank and armoured vehicle fleet enhancing the battlefield mobility and offensive capability. The present case being a buy (Indian-indigenously designed developed and manufactured) will give impetus to the Make-in-India initiative in defence. This project will also play a pivotal role in boosting the overall economy and increasing employment avenues in the country...////...