Modi government rejigs 11 empowered groups for Coronavirus pandemic

The central government has reconstituted the eleven empowered groups of officers on Saturday, May 2. These groups are formed to implement COVID-19 containment measures in the country.

The empowered groups of officers were initially created on March 29 under the Disaster Management Act. The reconstitution of these groups was necessitated by the Ministry of Home Affairs as some members either retired, appointed or were transferred from their earlier posting.

According to the sources, Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla on Friday issued an order for reconstituting the eleven empowered groups.

"Empowered groups under Disaster Management Act, 2005, reconstituted for planning and ensuring implementation of COVID-19 activities," the spokesperson added. Their terms and conditions will remain the same, according to the order.

Coronavirus cases in India

Meanwhile, India on Saturday recorded the highest single-day rise in novel coronavirus cases as the total number of patients in India currently stands at 37,336. In addition to this, nearly 1,218 succumbed to the infection. Maharashtra remains the worst hit among the nation due to the pandemic.

The total number of cases in the state rose to 11,506 with 485 deaths, although 1,879 people have also recovered from the deadly virus.

Gujarat next in the order reported 4,721 cases so far followed by Delhi with 3,738 cases, according to the Health Ministry data.

The other states which have seen sharp rise in cases are Madhya Pradesh (2,719), Rajasthan (2,666), Tamil Nadu (2,526) and Uttar Pradesh (2,228).