MHA asks states to set up control rooms to help providers of goods and services

Tribune News Service

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New Delhi, March 25

Intending to ensure that supply of essential goods and services continues to remain “unhindered” during the lockdown period, the Ministry of home Affairs (MHA) today issued a detailed guidelines all states and Union Territories (UTs) to set up a round the clock control room and see to it that “no rumours” on scarcity is spread.

“In order to ensure that these provisions are seamlessly available at ground level it would be necessary for each state/UT to set-up a 24×7 control room/office with helplines (at state/district level) to address any grievance or undue problems faced by the providers of goods/services including during inter-state movement,” the MHA said in the advisory to Chief Secretaries and police chiefs of all states and union territories. It has also asked that the helpline numbers of the state/district control rooms should immediately be shared with the central control room at the MHA.

In the advisory the MHA said, “It may also be necessary to lay down Standard Operating Protocol (Sop) for unhindered operation of aforesaid essential services/establishment and commodities including appointment of nodal officers at inter-state borders, issue of vehiclular passeses/e-passes etc.”

This comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday announced a 21-day lockdown in the entire country effective from midnight to deal with the spread of coronavirus, saying that “social distancing” is the only option to deal with the disease, which spreads rapidly.

In a televised address to the nation, Prime Minister Modi said that it is vital to break the chain of the disease and experts have said that at least 21 days are needed for it.