Combating COVID-19: Centre sets up 11 empowered groups

New Delhi: The central government on Sunday set up 11 empowered groups for ensuring a comprehensive and integrated response to COVID-19.

“The central government on Sunday set up 11 empowered groups for ensuring a comprehensive and integrated response to COVID-19. These empowered groups have been set up under the Disaster Management Act. The Department of Expenditure has issued special instructions to enable expeditious decision making in procurement matters,” sources said.

The groups have been empowered to formulate plans and to take all necessary steps for their time bound implementation. Out of these 11 empowered groups, 9 are headed by Secretary level officers, 1 by a member of NITI Aayog and 1 by the CEO of NITI Aayog: Sources https://t.co/IjDD8HzbMT

— ANI (@ANI) March 29, 2020

Each group has a senior representative from PMO and Cabinet Secretariat to ensure seamless coordination.

“Out of these 11 empowered groups, 8 are headed by Secretary level officers while 2 by NITI Aayog members and 1 by CEO of NITI, Aayog. The groups have been empowered to formulate plans and to take all necessary steps for their time-bound implementation,” sources added.

Here is the copy of the order:

The Central government had on Tuesday announced a 21-day lockdown in a bid to stop the spread of the deadly virus that has left several thousand dead globally. In India, the virus has infected 1024 people so far. (ANI)