New Delhi, Mar 29 (UNI) At the helm of India’s fight against COVID-19, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is continuing his interactions with various stakeholders to get firsthand feedback from various quarters.
He interacts with over 200 people on a daily basis which includes phone calls to various state Governors, Chief Ministers, and Health Ministers and telephonically reaches out to various doctors, nurses, health workers, and sanitation staff from various corners of the country in order to encourage them and to pay gratitude to their yeomen service to the nation and society.
Mr Modi also interacts with people from various walks of life through video conferencing in an effort to control the spread of the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19).
Earlier in the day, through his monthly radio address, Mann Ki Baat, the Prime Minister reminded the people of the importance of social distancing and said some people are defying the lockdown and it is good for the interest of the country.
“I want to apologise for taking these kinds of steps which have caused difficulties in your lives, especially the poor people. I know some of you would be angry with me also. But I had no choice but to make these decisions to fight the coronavirus. Those who are defying the lockdown are playing with their own lives”, he asserted.
He has held discussions through video conferencing with the heads of various electronic media groups as well as interacted with the heads of various print media groups on the March 24.
Urging the media, the Prime Minister asked them counter pessimism and panic through positive communication.
On the March 27, the Prime Minister held a video conference with various Radio Jockeys and announcers of All India Radio and said, “need to constantly celebrate the contribution of the local heroes at national level and boost their morale”.
Apart from this he also telephonically reaches to some of those who are affected with Coronavirus and to some of those who have recovered from its affects in order to keep an update on their progress.
On March 25, Mr Modi, in a special video interactin, with his constituents in Varanasi has appealed for resolve, restraint and sensitivity and exhorted the people to adapt to the best practices in fighting the virus.
Since January, at a time when the first case of Coronavirus reported in the country, the Prime Minister held several rounds of meetings and discussions with people from various walks of life and officials in order to find ways and means to fight COVID-19.
He had been holding meetings on a daily basis wherein he is updated regularly by the Cabinet Secretary and the Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister’s Office.
Prime Minister is also being updated by the Group of Ministers (GoM) set up under the chairmanship of the Minister for Health and Family Welfare Dr Harsh Vardhan on the steps being taken by the Government.
Mr Modi had also announced that he would not be participating in the Holi festivities in an effort to make people maintain social distancing.
In order to prepare the country to deal with the COVID-19, the Prime Minister in his address to the nation on the March 19 urged the people to voluntarily participate in the Janta Curfew for 14 hours from 0700 hours to 2100 hours on the March 22.
While preparing the nation successfully in an effort to maintain social distance, the Prime Minister in his address to the nation on the March 24, has appealed for a 3 week lockdown as it is the only known effective measure in controlling the spread of the virus.
In his address, the Prime Minister requested the people against panic buying and assured them of the constant supply of essential goods.
To deal with the economic challenges caused by the pandemic, the Prime Minister announced the creation of ‘COVID-19 Economic Response Task Force’ under the Union Finance Minister.
Subsequently, his government on March 26, announced a financial package of Rs 1.7 Lakh crore which focuses on emergency cash transfers of the poor.
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