With eye on China, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh raises financial powers of army commanders

The government has substantially increased the special financial powers of Army commanders tasked with the China border, with defence minister Rajnath Singh approving new annual budgets that will enable them to quickly procure equipment needed for troops deployed in the field.

The Central Command, which oversees the border with China in Uttarakhand that has seen increased PLA activity in recent years, has been given a four-time hike. The Central Commander can now utilise up to ₹200 crore on urgent items.

The Eastern Command, tasked with borders in Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh, has seen its special financial powers being doubled to ₹400 crore. The Northern Command, which remains most active and is facing the biggest buildup of Chinese troops across the Ladakh border since 1962, has also got its special financial powers enhanced from ₹400 crore to ₹500 crore, the highest among all commands.