Priyanka joins Cong state chiefs meet, seeks help for distressed

New Delhi, March 29 (IANS) Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi on Sunday participated in a meeting, via videoconferencing, of all state presidents to assess and discuss the preparedness of state units and party organisations in fighting the Covid-19 spread.

State leaders shared the actions taken so far in the wake of Covid-19 outbreak and lockdown and discussed the further measures to be taken in this regard in their respective states.

State leaders are implementing instructions to reach out to the distressed sections to help the people in need and are supporting medical, paramedical persons and sanitation workers in the hospitals and health centres, said a statement from General Secretary, Organisation, K.C. Venugopal.

The Congress has advised its state leaders set up a strong monitoring system in the states and ensure party presence everywhere, and in every state, a control room should be set up. Control rooms are to be set up in all district units too.

The leaders suggested that a central control room should be set up in Delhi to coordinate the efforts with the states, and “also stressed upon and suggested that Congress President and Ex-President need to interact with the party workers and the general public on a regular basis,” the statement said.

As lockdown is imposed in states, the state units were advised to ask the state governments to issue passes for party workers for distribution of food and medicine kits.

Following the circular sent to the PCCs, state unit chiefs have asked the MPs and MLAs to make generous contribution from their MPLADS and MLA funds to equip the hospitals and other institutions to cope with the current crisis. “Non-implementation of central financial schemes, as and where has to be brought to the notice of the authorities and the government and strong pressure should be put in such instances to ensure implementation.”

The party has asked other states to implement the community kitchen model of Kerala in their respective states.

With supply chain deadlocks in many states like Kerala as trucks are not being allowed to enter it, state leaders have requested the central leadership to take up this issue and pressurise the Central and Karnataka governments to allow passage of supply trucks.

Party leaders also expressed concerns about the reverse migration of workers and sought that this issue should be taken up seriously and settlement to this crisis be sought, in coordination with the respective state governments.

–IANS

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