As a consequence, it said, all resources should be pooled towards early production of India's Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) to achieve self-reliance.

The Defence Ministry informed the committee that the first flight of the LCA, whose development suffered a six-month delay because of post-Pokhran United States sanctions, will be conducted in July this year.

The 44-member committee, which presented its seventh report to the Lok Sabha just before its dissolution, said, "It may be possible that the LCA project is being delayed in order to accommodate the delay caused in upgrading MiG-21 Bis aircraft so that early induction of LCA does not not render the MiG-21 Bis upgradation project irrelevant".

The committee said steps should be taken toovercome "hurdles" in the acquisition of the remaining 32 Sukhoi-30 warplanes from Russia to strengthen the Indian Air Force and counter potential threat to country's security.

On the Rs 6,300 crore Sukhoi deal for the purchase of 40 sophisticated jets, signed in November 1996, the Ministry told the committee that negotiations on the new delivery schedule for the Su-30 jets with Moscow were in progress.

According to defence sources, India has so far received eight fighter versions of the contracted 40 Su-30 warplanes. Bomber and multi-role versions of the aircraft are yet to be delivered.

Referring to the MiG-21 Bis upgradation project with Russia for the modernisation of 125 jets, the committee said it had been launched to bridge their phasing out and induction of LCA, which has already suffered ``considerable time and cost overruns".

It said initially, only two MiG-21 Bis planes were sent to Russia for upgradation. For the remaining 123 jets, transfer of technology for upgradation at the Nasikdivision of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited would take place soon, it said.

But the committee said that "almost three years have passed since the signing of the contract for upgradation of the aircraft in March 1996 and not even two aircraft have been upgraded till date".

It, therefore, recommended the government "take a review of the decision to modernise the MiG-21Bis.''