Government Enhances Financial Powers to clear projects up to Rs 200 crore To Concerned Principal Staff Officers At Services HQ
There was a time when for clearing a project worth just 50 Crores, a case had to go to the Defence Secretary. Raksha Mantri could clear a project worth 100 Crores. A few years back a certain amount of financial powers were dekegated to the Vice Chiefs.
Now the Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved financial powers to clear projects worth up to Rs 200 crore to the Principal Staff Officers at the Services HQ for capital procurement projects. The financial powers have been approved for projects under the ‘Other Capital Procurement Procedure’ category.
Financial powers to clear projects worth up to Rs 200 crore have been delegated to Deputy Chief of Army Staff ( CD &S)/ Master General Sustenance, Air Officer Maintenance, Chief Of Materials at the Naval HQ and Deputy Chief of Integrated Defence Staff( PP & FD ) as well as to additional director general of Indian Coast Guard at HQ Indian Coast Guard.
In addition to the above, the official statement added that the enhanced delegation of Financial Powers under Other Capital Procurement as per the Acquisition Procedure-2020, gave financial powers up to Rs 100 crore to General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C), Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief (FOC-in-C), Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief (AOC-in-C) at Services Command and Regional Commanders, Indian Coast Guard (ICG).
“This delegation of powers within Service Headquarters and up to Command Level for items of Capital nature such as overhauls, refits, upgrades etc. will enhance the utility of existing assets and will facilitate faster processing and implementation of projects for modernization of Armed Forces to meet the security challenges of the nation,” added the statement.
The Cabinet has also approved enhanced financial powers in the Make-I category under which Government funding up to 70 per cent of the prototype development cost is available for Design & Development of equipment, systems, major platforms or upgrades thereof.
Chief of Integrated Defence Staff to the Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee (CISC), Vice Chief of Army Staff (VCOAS), Vice Chief of Naval Staff (VCNS), Deputy Chief of Air Staff (DCAS), and Director General Coast Guard (DG(CG)) have now been given powers to sanction Government support up to Rs 50 crore towards cost of prototype development.
Financial powers have also been enhanced for other competent financial authorities under ‘Make-I’ in line with Government’s vision of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ and ‘Make in India’ for a robust defence industrial ecosystem.
