Defence Minister Rajnath Singh grants emergency powers to allow Armed Forces to set up Covid facilities

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday 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.

The defence ministry said vice chiefs of armed forces including chief of integrated defence staff to the chairman chiefs of staff committee (CISC) and GOC-in-Cs and equivalent rank holders of all three services have been given full powers.

It said the corps commanders and area commanders have been delegated powers up to Rs 50 lakh per case while division commanders and sub area commanders and equivalents have been delegated powers up to Rs 20 lakh per case.

The emergency powers were sanctioned to the armed forces last year too when the COVID-19 pandemic first broke out.