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Covid-19 update: Food, migrants on Government panel agenda
Prime Minister Narendra Modi formed 11 empowered group of secretaries to monitor different aspects of the situation arising out of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) .
Hassle-free movement of food, diary products, and other essential goods and a close watch on the movement of migrant workers -- these are the main areas where the government’s senior bureaucracy sees need for urgent intervention, as 1.3 billion Indians continue to stay under a federal lockdown.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi formed 11 empowered group of secretaries to monitor different aspects of the situation arising out of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) . The groups, empowered to take decisions, meet every day to take stock of the unfolding ground situation.
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During their internal discussions on Wednesday, many bureaucrats found several complaints about non-compliance of the government’s order on movement of food and dairy products. According to a senior official who is a member of one of the committees, continued “production and seamless supply of food items right to the neighbourhood level holds the key to the success of the lockdown.”
According to a government official, the issue related to the supply of food is significant and Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to take it up in in his video conference with state chief ministers scheduled for Thursday.
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On Wednesday, the supply of essential commodities also came up during the video conference between cabinet secretary Rajiv Gauba and the chief secretaries of the states. A press release that was issued subsequently said: “The manufacturing of essential goods should be ensured. It should also be ensured that the supply chains of such goods are maintained.”
The government also wants to keep a tab on the movement of migrant workers and will ask panchayats to inform local police about the return of any workers in their area or if anyone shows symptoms of the coronavirus disease in the village. The rural development ministry has sent a letter to the states, asking them to involve gram panchayats in the identification of a migrant workers and any anyone showing symptoms.
Following the nationwide lockdown imposed on March 25, millions of migrant workers sought to rush home -- walking hundreds of kilometres in some cases in the absence of public transport.
The panels also discussed several other issues, including the compliance, in different states, of norms issued by the Centre. They will also explore how to widen the use of Corporate Social Responsibility funds in tackling the pandemic.
There is also a proposal before the government to further increase the duties on petrol and diesel. “After the duty was hiked a few weeks ago, the price of crude oil in international markets have fallen further. So, a section of the establishment wants to hike the excise appropriately. The final call on this issue will be taken by the finance ministry,”said a secretary-level officer.
The government gave itself the width to raise special excise duty by ₹3 per litre on petrol and diesel on March 14 by increasing additional excise duty and special additional excise duty.
Former rural development secretary Jugal Kishore Mohapatra said, “I hope these groups are getting feedback from the ground and are not relying entirely on what government officials are feeding them from the states. The government also needs to come up with a plan regarding the crop harvesting season that starts from mid-April.”
