A fresh order on defence revenue procurements released Tuesday by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has granted a massive jump to the financial powers of the Chief of the Integrated Defence Staff to the Chairman Chiefs Of Staff Committee (CISC), in a move understood to be critical to the integrated theatre commands as and when they are formed.
The revised Delegation of Financial Powers to Defence Services (DFPDS-2021) has provided for an increase of or up to six times or over 500 percent jump (for certain schedules) in the financial powers of the CISC, which varies with the different schedules of the Integrated Defence Staff (IDS).
Additionally, the schedules in the DFPDS-2021 relating to field commanders special financial powers, which so far was applicable only for the commander in chiefs of the tri service Strategic Forces Command (SFC) and the Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC) will also be exercised by the CISC.
Their special financial powers for the SFC and ANC commander-in-chiefs have been increased by four times, to Rs40 crore from Rs10 crore as stated in the previous DFPDS-2016. For the CISC, this will be Rs137.5 crore.
As per defence sources, granting higher financial powers has been made keeping in mind the integrated theatre commands which are scheduled to be set up in the near future.
“That the CISC has granted emergency powers and also field commanders special financial powers, shows that we are moving towards establishing theatre commands; he will have a role in the joint theatre commands’ operations,” a defence source told News18.com.
The grant of special financial powers will aid the CISC take calls on urgent procurements of equipment, stores and spares for immediate operational requirement through a fast track procedure, thus cutting short procurement cycles and saving time.
The new government order also gives CISC emergency powers to procure equipment, stores, vehicles, manpower, among others for immediate operational requirements.
Earlier, only vice chiefs of the Army, Navy and the IAF had these powers. Integrated theatre commands will comprise specific units of the Army, Navy and the IAF and will form a cohesive fighting unit under a theatre commander.
The task of rolling out the theatre commands was assigned to the Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat, but had since hit a roadblock with the IAF disagreeing to the concept of rigid theaterisation. The services and the CDS are now holding further consultations to arrive at a common ground on the exact structure of these theatre commands.
Releasing the DFPDS-2021 –the sole document governing India’s defence revenue procurements Tuesday – defence minister Rajnath Singh had said that it will not only “overcome procedural delays, but also bring about greater decentralisation and operational efficiency.”
The services also have welcomed the new government order.
A senior Army officer said the revised document is in sync with the latest Army headquarter restructuring. “Bigger financial powers have been given to all the new appointments post the restructuring. It also gives an impetus to research and development. The delegation of financial powers to the second in command at the command level is a welcome move,” the officer told News18.com.
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