New Delhi, December 24

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday said performance standards are being set for officers and mechanisms developed for greater prudence in financial management under the Centre’s vision of ‘minimum government and maximum governance’.

He said this in his address at a workshop for integrated finance (IF) advisers, organised by the finance division of the Defence Ministry at the DRDO Bhawan here.

“Under the ‘minimum government, maximum governance’ (vision), government functions are being made more effective and efficient. Performance standards are being set for government officers.

“And in financial management, mechanisms are being adopted for more prudence and accountability,” Singh said.

The minister said finance is the backbone for any family, society, institution or country.

“Defence Accounts deals with one-fourth of the country’s total budget. And, as I said, integrated finance (IF) is considered the backbone of any department or ministry. Any ministry can achieve its objectives only when it can manage budgetary resources without compromising the operational needs,” the minister said.

Singh said that in this direction, the government had also adopted a lot of innovative methods, like increasing focus on the Public Financial Management System, and introduction of Central Public Procurement Portal.

The minister said that in the last three years, the defence ministry had utilised its allocation “very successfully and through substantial delegation of financial powers the trend of non-utilisation of funds has ceased”. PTI