The Centre on Saturday reconstituted the six empowered groups it had set up for COVID-19 management into 10 units, broadening its scope to include concerns such as oxygen supply, immunisation, emergency response, and economic prosperity initiatives.

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The move comes after the Supreme Court heavily criticised the Centre over the management of COVID-19 pandemic in the country. 

While issuing a directive under the Disaster Management Act, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) broadened the scope of these empowered bodies, charged them with enabling supply chain operations and logistic support as well.

In the order, Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla stated, “The situation has been assessed, and a need has been seen to rebuild the six empowered groups into 10 units in order to cater to the present demand of COVID-19 administration.”

Each empowered unit has been given ten to eleven members. The Union Home Secretary, who also serves as Chairman of the National Executive Committee, has recommended that the convenors of the various groupings can co-opt any other official in the group as needed.

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According to an official decree, matters concerning oxygen production, import, and the installation of PSA plants will be handled by an empowered group whose convenor will be the Secretary of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, and it will consist of ten members.

VK Paul, a member of the NITI Aayog, will serve as the convenor of the empowered group on immunisation, vaccine procurement, and import, among other issues. The Foreign Secretary will be one of the nine members.

Balram Bhargava, Director-General of the ICMR, will chair the authorised committee for testing, which will include eight additional members.

The Economic Affairs Secretary will chair the empowered group on economic and welfare measures, which will include ten members.

The Secretary of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting will serve as the convenor for the information, media, and public participation committee, which will include ten additional members.

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The empowered group for emergency management framework and strategy will also be convened by VK Paul, a member of the NITI Aayog, and will have ten additional members. The empowered group for emergency response capabilities will be convened by the Union Health Secretary, with 10 other members.

The Union Home Secretary will serve as the convenor of the empowered group for pandemic preparedness and management, which will include 11 other members.

The Union Labour Secretary will serve as the convenor of the empowered group for human resource enhancement and capacity building, which will include nine other members.

NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant will serve as the convenor of the empowered group for collaborations with the commercial sector, NGOs, and others, which will include nine additional members.

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The decision was made after an assessment of the Covid-19 situation in the country, according to Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla.