Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr JitendraSingh  todayheld extensive discussions with Ex-Bureaucrats about India’s fight against COVID-19 and explored ways for an exit plan post lockdown.

In a one-and-half hour long video conference interaction with Shri Sudhir Bhargava, Shri Rama Sundaram, Shri Rakesh Kumar Gupta, Shri Satyananda Mishra, ShriP.Panneervel and Shri K.V.Eapen, all retired IAS officers and  Ms Sangeeta Gupta, Ms ShielaSangwan ex-IRS officers, Dr.Jitendra Singh briefed them about government’s efforts in containing the pandemic in an effective manner so far. He said, India has fared well ahead of many advanced countries in the world through pro-active measures to contain it.

The officers also appreciated the Government’s efforts in containing the pandemic through various measures and also shared their views on the possible exit plan post lockdown to kick start the economy. During the video-interaction, the officers also underlined the issues like, Phased withdrawal of lockdown, more usage of technology in administration e.g. e-office, importance of building up immunity through Vitamin-C intake, fiscal stimulus to kick-start the economy, financial security to the poor, introduction of more online courses and exams to utilize the academic year, facilitation of migrant workers to reach their native places and development of vaccines and testing kits indigenously to give a fillip to Make in India concept.

Dr.Jitendra Singh thanked the bureaucrats for their valuable suggestions on the subject and said that such kind of outreach will continue in future to get the distilled wisdom from all quarters to fight the menace of Corona pandemic.

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VG/SNC