New Delhi: Union Government set up 11 empowered groups on Sunday for ensuring a comprehensive and integrated response to Covid-19. According to official sources the groups set up under the disaster management act. The groups are expected to set things back on track during the lock down period. In India Covid-19 which have infected more than 1024 people in the country and killed more than 27 people.

The groups have been empowered to formulate plans and take all necessary steps for their time bound implementation. According to the health ministry sources, the secretary level officers have been involved in the matter and that each group has its particular focus area. “These groups are empowered to identify problem areas and provide effective solutions, delineate policy, formulate plans, strategies operations, and take all necessary steps for effective and time-bound implementation of these plans”.

Each group has senior representative from the Prime Minister’s Office and the Cabinet Secretariat to ensure seamless coordination. The Department of Expenditure has issued special instructions to enable expeditious decision making in procurement matters, said sources. PM appealed to people not to cross the ”lakshman rekha” of their homes in the next three weeks in his televised address. But over the last five days since the announcement, the country has witnessed an exodus of migrant labourers from cities to villages – most of the daily wagers whose livelihood has been jeopardized by the lockdown. Today the government asked the states to seal borders and keep those who broke lockdown in 14-day compulsory quarantine.