Ensure local needs are addressed promptly, stay in touch with people: PM Modi to ministers

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, April 30, 2021:      Prime Minister Narendra on Friday urged Union ministers to constantly stay in touch with people in their respective regions and ensure that local-level needs are addressed promptly.

 

Chairing a cabinet meeting on the prevailing second wave of Covid-19, PM Modi said all arms of the government are working unitedly and rapidly to deal with the situation.

"He urged the ministers to stay in touch with people of their respective regions, help them and keep getting their feedback. He stressed upon the need to ensure that issues at the local level are promptly identified and addressed," the government said in a statement.

During the meeting, the Union Cabinet noted that the present pandemic crisis is ’once in a century crisis’ and has thrown a big challenge for the world.

The Cabinet also reviewed the efforts made in the last 14 months by the central and state governments to tackle the pandemic.

"The efforts made by the central government in coordination with the states towards building up infrastructure in the form of ramping up hospital beds, oxygen facilities etc., resolving issues in production, storage and transport of oxygen, tackling matters relating to availability of essential medicines were briefed," the statement said.

It added that measures are being taken to further ramp up supply and availability of these essential commodities.

The support measures for the vulnerable population in the form of free foodgrains and financial support to Jan Dhan account holders were also discussed at the meeting, the statement said.

The meeting was informed that 15 crore doses of Covid-19 vaccine have so far been administered to people. It was also pointed out that India could successfully produce two vaccines and there are many vaccine candidates at various stages of approval and induction.

The council of ministers also highlighted the importance of Covid-appropriate behaviour -- wearing masks, maintaining a physical distance of six feet with others and washing hands frequently.

Emphasising that the participation of the society is a key aspect to accomplish the gigantic task ahead, the ministers expressed confidence that the country will rise to the occasion and defeat the virus.

This was the first meeting of the council of ministers in the aftermath of the second wave of the pandemic in the country.

Courtesy:India Today