Stay in touch with people, take feedback, PM Modi tells ministers

Stressing on the need to ensure issues at the local level were promptly identified and addressed, Modi said, 'all arms of the government are working unitedly and rapidly to deal with the situation'

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday held a meeting with the council of ministers to discuss the “once in a century crisis” that had thrown a big challenge for the world.
 
Modi asked the ministers to stay in touch with people of their respective regions, help them and keep getting their feedback. Stressing upon the need to ensure that issues at the local level are promptly identified and addressed, Modi said: “All arms of the government are working unitedly and rapidly to deal with the situation.”
 
“The Council reviewed all the efforts made in the past 14 months by the central and state governments and the people of India,” PMO said.

 

Steps taken towards ramping up hospital beds, PSA oxygen facilities, resolving issues in production, storage & transport of oxygen, tackling matters relating to the availability of essential medicines were discussed in the meeting, a press statement said.
 
Orders for 127,000 oxygen cylinders were placed on April 21 and deliveries are expected to start by the end of April, according to the government data. Additional 500 PSA plants of indigenous technology have been sanctioned to be installed by the DRDO. The government is trying to increase the availability of oxygen tankers to more than 2,000 from 1,224 now by converting 50 per cent of the existing Nitrogen and Argon tankers and by importing 138 cryogenic tankers for oxygen. The meeting held through video conference was also attended by Principal Secretary to PM, P K Mishra; Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba; NITI Aayog Member V K Paul, who made a presentation before the PM.