Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday assigned union ministers to take charge of specific states to oversee the measures that are being taken to defeat the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic outbreak in India.
An ANI report said that a letter from the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) has been sent to all ministers, asking them to play an active and effective role in stemming the growth of the disease.
"The elected representatives have been asked to ensure that poor and underprivileged get food, that the PDS shops in their area do not run out of ration, essential commodities are available in local markets and people are not overcharged for the same," a minister was quoted by ANI.
The ministers have been asked to maintain constant contact with the local administration, including the district magistrate, and make sure all those who return from abroad follow quarantine rules and maintain an updated record on the status of patients who tested positive for COVID-19 in the respective states.
Among the ministers who have been placed in charge of states are:
Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi for Jharkhand
Nitin Gadkari and Prakash Javadekar for Maharashtra
Rajnath Singh, Mahendra Nath Pandey, Sanjeev Balyan, and Krishna Pal Gurjar for Uttar Pradesh
Ravi Shankar Prasad and Ram Vilas Paswan for Bihar
Gajendra Singh Shekhawat for Rajasthan and Punjab.
The elected representatives will also ensure that the community kitchens in the state do not face any problems while serving the poor. The ministers have also been asked to create awareness regarding the disease.
As of 9 PM on Thursday, India reported a total of 694 positive cases of coronavirus infection, while the death toll reached 16. 44 have been cured, and one individual has migrated.
