"The Vice Chiefs of the three services have been given the financial powers up to Rs 500 crore per project to acquire the required weapon systems under fast track procedures needed to fill whatever shortcomings or requirement is felt," a senior government official told ANI.
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Similar financial powers were given to the armed forces after the Uri attack and the Balakot aerial strikes against Pakistan.
The requirement of granting this power again to the forces was felt by the government after the Chinese aggression in Eastern Ladakh and the way they have deployed their troops in large numbers there along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
Rajnath Singh gives free hand to the Defence Forces
Earlier, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh gave complete authority to Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat, the three chiefs of Indian Armed Forces and the corps commanders to act and react as deemed fit according to the situation on the ground.
In a meeting with CDS General Rawat and the three chiefs of Armed Forces, the Defence Minister reiterated that India is a peaceful nation but the repeated acts of aggression by the Chinese have compelled the Indian Army to change the rules of engagement with the hostile neighbour. With a change in rules of engagement, the armed forces may not be bound by restrictions on the use of firearms under hostile attacks.
In the deadliest clash with the Chinese in decades, 20 Indian soldiers, including a Commanding Officer, were martyred in the Galwan Valley on Monday. This violent face-off came at a time when both South Asian neighbors were engaged in "de-escalation" in the high-altitude area.
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