Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday urged the chief ministers to ensure the smooth functioning of supply chains and take strict action against hoarding and profiteering in view of the West Asia crisis, which he said remained dynamic and needed continuous monitoring.
Modi, who has already addressed Parliament on the crisis, held a videoconference with chief ministers and the lieutenant governors of Union Territories, where he stressed working as “Team India”, drawing a parallel with the handling of the Covid pandemic.
He urged the activation of control rooms at state and district levels while emphasising administrative vigilance to prevent disruptions.
Modi said the situation necessitated continuous monitoring and adaptive strategies. He urged constant communication and coordination between the Centre and the states, along with timely sharing of information and joint decision-making, so that the responses were swift and well-aligned.
Highlighting concerns relating to agriculture, Modi asked the chief ministers to undertake advance planning, particularly in monitoring fertiliser storage and distribution, to avoid any distress for farmers during the upcoming kharif season.
“Special attention must be given to border and coastal states,” he said at the meeting, seeking to address emerging challenges related to shipping, essential supplies and maritime operations.
In his concluding remarks, Modi said the country had adequate oil and gas reserves, stressing there was no reason to panic.
Modi listed “maintaining economic and trade stability, ensuring energy security, safeguarding citizens’ interests, and strengthening industry and supply chains — amid global uncertainties” as the government’s key priorities.
He also asked the states to set up helplines and support systems for citizens in West Asia, ensuring timely assistance to affected families.
He told the chief ministers and LGs to ensure both immediate response and long-term preparedness, underscoring the need to accelerate efforts in alternative energy, including solar and biofuel energy, electric mobility and the expansion of piped natural gas, along with boosting domestic oil and gas exploration.
Modi advised vigilance against online fraud and fake agents and called for special attention in the border and coastal states to address any emerging challenges related to shipping, essential supplies and maritime operations.
The Prime Minister ruled out any plan by the Centre to impose a Covid-like lockdown, urging the leaders to dispel such rumours in their territories.
“Chief ministers appreciated the steps taken by the central government under the leadership of PM Modi to tackle the situation. They also appreciated the diplomatic outreach of PM Modi to different countries to ensure the well-being of Indian citizens abroad,” a government release stated.
The chief ministers who attended the meeting included N. Chandra Babu Naidu, Yogi Adityanath, Revanth Reddy, Bhagwant Mann, Bhupendra Patel, Omar Abdullah, Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and Pema Khandu.