COVID-19: Centre slashes 11 Empowered Groups into 6 panels to cater to current management

While India's COVID-19 graph continues to show a downward trend, the Centre on Saturday reconstituted and slashed the 11 Empowered Groups to six in order to cater to the ongoing COVID-19 management situation in the country. Of the six Empowered Groups, EG 1 is headed by NITI Aayog member Dr VK Paul. This group deals with medical/ health infrastructure and the COVID-19 management plan. 

In view of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Central Government had set up 11 EGs following the announcement of strict nationwide lockdown in March last year. The Groups have been constituted under the National Disaster Management Act 2005.  

Vide a circular dated May 29, 2021, issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Centre reconstituted Empowered Groups to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic by delegating distinct quarters to be managed to different Groups. The Centre formed panels of Emergency Management Plan and Strategy, Emergency Response Capabilities, Augmenting Human Resources and Capacity Building, Oxygen, Vaccination, Testing, Partnerships, Information Communication and Public Engagement, Economic and Welfare Measures/ Schemes and Pandemic Response and Coordination. 

Different EGs & Deputation

Dr VK Paul, the convener for the EG for Emergency Management Plan and Strategy panel will lead the panel on COVID-19 vaccination with 10 other EG 1 members responsible for coordinating procurement, manufacturing, logistics, daily supply and utilisation and will also check vaccine wastage.

While Rajesh Bhushan, Secretary, Department of Health and Family Welfare will be the convener of the Emergency and Response Capabilities panel which will also have ten other members, Apurva Chandra, Secretary, labour and Employment will be the convener of Augmenting Human Resources and Capacity panel which will have nine other members. EG for Partnerships with Private Sector, NGOs, and others will be headed by NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant and it will have nine other members.

Also, Giridhar Aramane, Secretary, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, will be the convener of the 11-membered Medical Oxygen panel. Dr VK Paul will head the Vaccination panel as well which will comprise 10 other members. The convener of the EG associated with Testing will be the Director-General of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Balram Bhargava, panel will consist of eight other members. While India's COVID-19 figures on a graph are descending, a wary Centre is determined to blunt fierce repercussions.