Middle East crisis: PM Modi sets up 7 empowered groups to assess impact of war | India News
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday announced the formation of a seven-empowered group to assess the impact of the ongoing military conflict in West Asia on energy supplies, essential goods and supply chains and chalk out a strategy to mitigate its impact on the Indian economy.In a statement in the Rajya Sabha, Modi said the conflict had disrupted economies around the world and warned that recovery from the damage in West Asia would take time. Drawing from the government’s playbook during the Covid-19 pandemic, he said the new groups would act as quick-response teams focusing on key areas such as petrol and diesel, fertilisers, gas, supply chain and inflation.
“I am fully confident that with these shared and coordinated efforts, we will be able to navigate these situations more effectively,” the prime minister said, adding that an inter-ministerial group was already meeting regularly to track developments and address emerging challenges arising from the situation.Seven panels comprising senior officials from various ministries and departments have been tasked with risk identification and short-, medium- and long-term strategy formulation.Their mandate includes assessing vulnerabilities in energy supply and pricing, ensuring adequacy of strategic reserves and managing price volatility and taking steps to prevent supply disruptions. They will also examine potential bottlenecks – from shipping routes and ports to aviation corridors and critical imports – and recommend pre-emptive measures.The groups are expected to explore alternative sources of imports to reduce dependence on any single region while keeping a close eye on domestic availability and price stability of essential commodities including food, fertilizer and fuel.During the pandemic, the government created 11 such empowered groups comprising officials and experts to take quick decisions and ensure coordination between the Center and states. Identifying the possibility of prolonged disruption, Modi said the adverse effects of the conflict could last for a long time. “But I assure the people that the government is alert and proactive and is taking every necessary decision seriously.”
