COVID-19: MoD grants emergency financial powers to armed forces
By TIOL News Service
NEW DELHI, MAY 01, 2021: DEFENCE Minister Mr Rajnath Singh on Friday invoked special provisions and granted emergency financial powers to the three services to establish and operate hospitals as well as quarantine facilities for COVID-19 patients.
The emergency powers have been granted for an initial period of three months from May 1-July 31. These are in addition to the emergency powers delegated to the Medical Officers of the Armed Forces last week, it added.
“These powers will help Formation Commanders to establish and operate quarantine facilities and hospitals and undertake procurement and repair of equipment, items, material and stores, besides provisioning of various services and works required to support the ongoing effort against the pandemic,” said the Ministry of Defence (MoD).
Under these powers, vice chiefs of the three services as well as General Officer Commanding-in-Chiefs (GOC-in-Cs) and holders of equivalent ranks have been given “full powers” to clear procurement proposals to deal with the pandemic.
Corps Commanders and Area Commanders have been delegated powers of up to Rs. 50 lakh per case and Division Commanders and Sub Area Commanders and equivalents have been delegated powers up to Rs. 20 lakh per case.
Last week, the MoD sanctioned emergency financial powers of Rs. 5 crore to the director general of medical services of the three services for COVID-19 related procurement.
Similar provisions were also sanctioned last year when the COVID-19 pandemic first broke out, to help the Armed Forces tackle the situation faster and in an effective manner.
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