Government has decided to delegate substantial financial powers to the Armed Forces for undertaking works for perimeter security of sensitive military installations. <br/><br/>This has been done primarily to expedite the decision making process involved in the modernisation of the security apparatus of airbases and defence installations. <br/><br/>In a statement, Defence Ministry said, the Vice-Chiefs of the three Services have been empowered to place orders, procure equipment and carry out civil works without further seeking approvals of the Ministry.<br/><br/>The financial delegation represents a significant jump in the powers currently exercised by the Services. <br/><br/>Defence Minister Arun Jaitley has also fixed strict timelines to ensure that the works are undertaken on priority and in a time-bound manner to ensure full security of our critical defence assets.