Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba today held a video conference with Chief Secretaries of all States/Union Territories to review supply chain management and transportation of essential commodities and services in and out of the State/UTs during the lockdown period. The meeting was also attended by Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla, Secretary Health Preeti Sudan and other Secretaries of concerned Ministries.
Chief Secretary J&K BVR Subrahmanyam, Director Generalof Police, Dilbag Singh, Financial Commissioner, Health, Atal Dulloo, PrincipalSecretary, Home, Shaleen Kabra, Principal Secretary, Planning, Rohit Kansal,Commissioner Secretary, Industries &Commerce, Manoj Dwivedi, IGP Jammu, MukeshSingh, Secretary, FCS&CA, Simrandeep Singh, Mission Director NHM, BhupinderKumar, Deputy Commissioner Jammu, Sushma Chauhan and Commissioner JMC, AvnyLavasa participated in the video conference.
Cabinet Secretary while interacting with Chief Secretariesof the States/UTs sought details from them with regard to the implementation oflockdown and arrangements put in place for maintenance of supply chain andtransportation of essential goods/services as already notified by theGovernment of India. He said it is imperative to successfully implement thenotified lockdown/restrictions, but at the same it is necessary to ensure theunhindered transportation/supply of essential services, which have beenexempted under the various prohibitory orders.
Cabinet Secretary commended the States/UTs for implementingthe lockdown restrictions seriously. He asked them to further sustain therestrictions in an effective manner for the period as the partialimplementation will not solve the problem.
While referring the issue of trucks being stranded in manyStates, the Cabinet Secretary said that the District Magistrates be asked toensure that the trucks carrying essential goods/medicines/perishable itemsshould not be stopped and be allowed to reach their destinations.
Considering the rise in the confirmed coronavirus cases inthe country, the Cabinet Secretary asked all States/UTs to upgrade theirhospitals/infrastructure with the resources available with them. He emphasizedthat at least one Government hospital should be fully equipped with doctors,staff and equipments to tackle Covid-19 and that hospital should be a dedicatedhealth facility exclusively for treating patients having infected with thevirus.
Later, Chief Secretary reviewed stock position of essential supplies available in theUnion Territory and asked Secretary FCS&CA to ensure that supply is notaffected anywhere because of the restrictions imposed.
Commissioner Secretary, Industries & Commerce andSecretary FCS&CA were directed to ensure that only industrial unitsinvolved in manufacturing of pharmaceuticals/essential items are allowed tocarry out their operations and permission to such units be given accordingly.
Chief Secretary directed Commissioner JMC to ensure that RTCbuses, hospitals and other important public places are fumigated regularly toavoid the transmission of virus.