Only 610 cases in 112 aspirational districts, says govt’s empowered panel on Covid-19

The Centre has formed 11 empowered groups comprising senior civil servants to deal with the Covid-19 outbreak and the problems emerging from the public health crisis .

Niti Aayog chief Amitabh Kant, who is heading an empowered group to strengthen India’s response to the coronavirus disease (Covid-19), said on Monday the government mobilised about 92,000 NGOs and civil society organisations across the country to tackle the crisis, even as the panel’s progress report said the exodus of migrants to their hometowns was an area of concern.

Migrant workers head to their native state, during Covid-19 lockdown, at Delhi-Gurugram expressway, near Shankar Chowk in Gurugram on Monday (Yogesh Kumar/HT Photo)

Kant presented the progress report of the sixth empowered group, constituted to engage non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and other industry and international bodies, at the daily news briefing and said that these groups were working closely with district administrations.

The Centre has formed 11 empowered groups comprising senior civil servants to deal with the Covid-19 outbreak and the problems emerging from the public health crisis.

“Empowered Group 6 has mobilised over 92,000 NGOs and CSOs, appealing to them to assist state governments and district administrations in identifying hot spots and delivering essential services to the vulnerable, including the homeless, daily wagers and migrant workers,” the Niti Aayog CEO said.

Kant also said that 610 Covid-19 cases were so far reported from 112 most backward districts, which are termed as “aspirational districts” by the government. “So far, in those 112 districts, only 610 cases have been reported, which is 2% of the national infections... Of these, six districts have reported the first case after April 21,” he added.

The panel’s progress report said: “Major hot spots are Baramulla (62 cases), Nuh (57), Ranchi (55), YSR (55), Kupwara (47) and Jaisalmer (34) it added.”

On a question about the state of the economy, the Niti Aayog CEO said that economic activity began picking up in the third phase of the lockdown, which has seen considerable relaxations.

The empowered group previously asked all chief secretaries to appoint state-level nodal officers to coordinate with all NGOs and resolve their issues apart from leveraging their resources and networks. “The NGOs were also urged to lift and distribute rice and wheat from the Food Corporation of India’s godowns at the subsidised rate of Rs 21-22 per kg so that no one in the country remains hungry,” Kant said.

The sixth empowered group is monitoring and coordinating with NGOs and civil society organisations across 700 districts on real-time basis to fight the spread of Covid-19. It has also engaged with development partners, United Nations agencies, and industry associations in at least 15 meetings.

The Niti Aayog has taken steps to ensure that these districts are able to contain the spread of the virus and has actively referred the requirements in testing kits, personal protective equipment and masks to the respective empowered groups for necessary action in order to address supply constraints, the progress report said.

The empowered group also engaged organisations such as the Red Cross Society, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Tata Trusts and Piramal Foundation to extend assistance to people across the country.

“It is a record of sorts, to harness their strengths and resources, expertise in key social sectors-nutrition, health, sanitation, education, and extensive reach in the community,” a Niti Aayog official said. The group has involved the organisations in identifying hot spots and deputing volunteers; delivering essential services to the vulnerable, including the homeless, daily wage workers, migrants, and urban poor families; and increasing awareness about prevention, social distancing, and isolation.

The report added: “A primary area of concern in these times is the mass exodus of migrant labourers from urban hubs of work to their villages. NGOs are coordinating efforts and working closely with the district administrations and state governments so that measures of care, quarantine, and treatment go hand in hand.”

In the next phase, the group will mobilise CSOs and NGOs for movement against Covid-19 stigmatisation and in protecting the elderly and senior citizens, Kant said. The UN in India has prepared a Joint Response Plan (JRP) with prevention, treatment and essential supplies as key components.

“Skill building of 15,300 trainers, training for 3,951 surveillance/health officers on Integrated Health Information Platform, infection prevention and control training in 890 hospitals, support to ICMR [Indian Council for Medical Research] for testing, strengthening risk communication and community engagement capabilities of health care workers, procurement of 200,000 PPE kits and 400,000 N95 masks, have been initiated by WHO and UNICEF,” the report said.

The empowered group has also urged all organisations and industry partners to effectively utilise the Arogya Setu app in their operations. The application enables people to assess the risk of exposure to Covid-19 infection based on their interaction with others.