Govt reconstitutes 6 empowered groups into 10 to tackle Covid-19 crisis; forms panel for vaccination, oxygen

NITI Aayog will be leading 3 of the empowered groups. ICMR will lead 1 of the groups and the rest of the six empowered groups will be led by Union secretaries.

The Centre has reconstituted 6 empowered groups into 10 on Saturday to tackle the current coronavirus disease (Covid-19) situation in the country. The Centre has also formed a panel for vaccination and to monitor medical oxygen requirements.

The government has also formed a panel to oversee India's vaccination strategy in the newly reconstituted empowered group. (AFP)

Niti Aayog (health) member Dr VK Paul will lead the panel on vaccination which has 10 other members who will oversee procurement, manufacturing, logistics, daily supply and utilisation and will also oversee amount of vaccine wastage.

Giridhar Aramane, Union secretary, ministry of road transport and highways has been appointed convener of the empowered group to see the nation's requirements related to medical oxygen. He along with 11 others will oversee production, import, logisitics, matters related to equipment meant for transporting oxygen, PSA plants and conversion of industrial oxygen to medical oxygen.

"The situation has been reviewed and a need have been felt to reconstitute the six Empowered Groups into ten Groups in order to cater the current need of Covid-19 management. Now, the undersigned in his capacity as Chairperson, National Executive Committee (NEC), in exercise of the powers conferred under section 10(2)(h) and (i) of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, hereby reconstitute these Empowered Groups as per Appendix, with the same terms and condition as have been mentioned in the Order of even number dated March 29, 2020," the order said.