Jharkhand forms ministerial panel to oversee fight against COVID-19

The Jharkhand government on Monday set up a Cabinet sub-committee comprising four ministers to supervise all the works related to the fight against COVID-19.

The panel of Finance Minister Rameshwar Oraon, Health Minister Banna Gupta, Labour Minister Satyanand Bhokta and ST-SC-BC-Minority Affairs Minister Champai Soren will also forward their reports to the government for its final decision.

The sub-committee will ensure effective implementation of the lockdown norms, an official release said. In another decision, the Cabinet approved Rs 36.11 crore to bear the expenses of providing 10 kg of rice to the families entitled under the National Food Security Act for April and May.

The Cabinet decided to provide with a one-time grant of Rs 1,000 those who do not have money to purchase food and medicines due to the lockdown and Rs 2,000 to those people of the state who were stranded outside, the release said. It also approved a proposal to announce 55 blocks of seven districts as drought-hit following delayed monsoon in 2019, resulting in less coverage of agriculture.