COVID-19: Rajnath Singh grants emergency financial powers to armed forces

TIL Desk/National/New Delhi/ Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has granted emergency financial powers to the three services to allow formation commanders to establish and operate hospitals as well as quarantine facilities for COVID-19 patients.

The emergency powers have been granted initially for a period of three months from May 1 to July 31 and are in addition to the similar powers delegated to the medical officers of the armed forces last week, officials said.

They said vice chiefs of the three services as well as General Officer Commanding-in-Chiefs (GOC-in-Cs) and holders of equivalent rank will be able to clear procurement proposals to deal with the coronavirus crisis.

Singh’s office said he invoked special provisions and granted emergency financial powers to the armed forces to empower them to speed up efforts in the nationwide fight against COVID-19.

“These powers will help Formation Commanders to establish and operate quarantine facilities/ hospitals and to undertake procurement/ repair of eqpt/ items/ material/ stores, besides provisioning of various services and works required to support the ongoing effort against COVID,” his office tweeted.