New Delhi, Mar 27: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday chaired a high-level virtual meeting with chief ministers to review preparedness and response measures in view of the ongoing West Asia conflict, stressing coordinated action between the Centre and states.
The meeting, the first of its kind since the conflict erupted on February 28 following US-Israel strikes on Iran, focused on ensuring seamless supply of essential commodities and minimising the impact of global disruptions on citizens.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh were among the key participants. Chief ministers including N Chandrababu Naidu, Yogi Adityanath, Hemant Soren, Omar Abdullah, Bhagwant Mann and Devendra Fadnavis also attended the interaction.
Chief ministers of poll-bound states did not participate in the meeting due to the enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC), officials said, adding that a separate interaction with their chief secretaries will be held.
Highlighting the need for cooperative federalism, Modi emphasised that the “aim is to ensure state and centre works as ‘Team India’ in light of the West Asia conflict,” and urged states to remain vigilant and aligned in tackling emerging challenges.
The meeting reviewed preparedness of states in handling potential disruptions in supply chains, particularly fuel and cooking gas. The Centre assured that petroleum and LPG supplies remain under control and steps have been taken to stabilise availability.
As part of the measures, the government has increased commercial LPG allocation to 70 per cent of pre-crisis levels and announced cuts in excise duty on petrol and diesel to ease the burden on consumers.
Amid concerns triggered by the global situation, Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri dismissed rumours of a nationwide lockdown. “No lockdown planned… rumours are irresponsible and harmful,” he said, urging people not to panic.
In a parallel move, the Centre has constituted an informal Group of Ministers (GoM) led by Rajnath Singh, with Amit Shah among its members, to monitor issues arising out of the conflict and coordinate response measures.
The West Asia conflict, which has intensified following retaliatory actions by Iran, has raised concerns over energy security and global supply chains, prompting governments worldwide to step up preparedness.
The Prime Minister reiterated the need for a unified and proactive approach to safeguard national interests and ensure minimal disruption to daily life, officials said.
