New Delhi: Cabinet secretary Rajiv Gauba has asked all ministries and departments to refrain from issuing clarifications or instructions on the Covid-19 lockdown, emphasising that it was the exclusive mandate of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
Since Wednesday last week, India has been under a complete lockdown, with certain exceptions for essential services. The lockdown will be in place for 21 days, and is meant to check the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic, which had claimed over 30 lives in the country by Tuesday evening.
The government has invoked the Disaster Management Act to enforce the lockdown.
In a letter written to all ministries Monday, Gauba pointed out that the home secretary, Ajay Kumar Bhalla, had issued an order on 24 March spelling out the measures to be taken to contain the spread of Covid-19 in India.
The order, he noted, was issued under Section 6(2)(i) of the Disaster Management Act, and was meant for all ministries and departments of the central government, as well as states and union territories.
In his letter, Gauba said it had been noticed that “some ministries/departments have issued clarifications affecting the lockdown measures”.
“I would like to convey that any instruction/clarification on the lockdown measures may be issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs alone, with the approval of the national executive committee (sic),” the letter stated.
The national executive committee, established under Section 8 of the Disaster Management Act 2005, is chaired by the home secretary. Section 10(2)(c) of the Act empowers the committee to monitor and coordinate the implementation of the lockdown.
Gauba added that any clarifications or modifications should be taken up with the home secretary, who can then take a decision.
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MHA on the job
Last week, Gauba had pointed out gaps in the monitoring of individuals who came to India from abroad between 18 and 23 March in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic and had asked all states and union territories to put all such individuals under surveillance.
The MHA has been issuing regular instructions and guidelines with respect to ensuring essential services are available during the lockdown period.
This includes directions to district authorities this Sunday for the strict implementation of additional measures to stop the movement of migrants between states, and ensuring that their wages are paid, among other things.
The ministry had earlier issued a standard operating procedure for maintaining the supply of essential goods during this period.
On Sunday, the MHA also constituted 11 empowered groups of officers under the Disaster Management Act to deal with Covid-9 challenges and the ongoing lockdown.
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