ON CM’s DIRECTIVES, PUNJAB GOVERNMENT CONSTITUTES 20-MEMBER TASK FORCE TO ADDRESS PUBLIC POLICY CHALLENGES AMID COVID-19
ASKS TASK FORCE TO SUMBIT ITS RECOMMENDATIONS BY APRIL 24
CHANDIGARH, APRIL 14: On the directives of the Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, the Punjab Government has constituted a 20-member ‘Task Force’ to suggest short & medium term measures to address the Public Policy challenges to deal with COVID-19 epidemic including easing out of restrictions imposed during the lockdown in a phased manner.
The task force has been mandated to submit its recommendations to the state Government within the 10-days of issue of this notification i.e. latest by April 24, 2020. The task force has also been asked to take inputs and data from experts and institutions as required.
It may be recalled that the containment of COVID-19 contagion require several changes in human behaviour, including limiting mobility, maintaining physical distance and personal hygiene. The conduct of socio-economic activities, according to new norms, would require several policy interventions.
Disclosing this here today, the Chief Secretary Karan Avtar Singh said that the task force would include retired IAS officers D.S. Kalha as the Convener besides KR Lakhanpal and former IPS officer N.S. Sandhu as members.
Apart from these, Chief Editor Punjabi Tribune Dr. Swaraj Bir Singh, Senior Advocate Manmohan Lal Sarin, former Director PGIMER Dr. KK Talwar, Vice Chancellor Baba Farid University of Health Sciences Faridkot Dr Raj Bahadur, former head of School of Public Health PGIMER Dr. Rajesh Kumar, Chairman Punjab State Farmers & Farm Workers’ Commission Ajay Vir Jakhar, BKU Leader Bhupinder Singh Mann, Chairman Vardhman Industries SP Oswal, Chairman Trident Industries Rajinder Gupta, Vice Chairman Sonalika Tractors A. S. Mittal, Eminent Businessman Gautam Kapoor, CEO Sukhjit Starch Bhavdeep Sardana, President Punjab Rice Millers Association Ashok Sethi, Vice Chancellor PAU Ludhiana B. S. Dhillon, Director IIT Ropar S.K. Das, Vice Chancellor GNDU Amritsar J.S. Sandhu and Arunjit Singh Miglani as members of the Task Force.
The task force has been mandated to address the issues including strategy for restrictions outside COVID-19 hotspots and containment zones and the phasing-out of restrictions after the lockdown for different sectors of the economy viz commerce, education, industries, transportation, healthcare,travel, tourism etc. The Task Force would also evolve policy measures for restarting the socio-economic activities and reestablishing livelihood and limiting contagion besides new opportunities of livelihood including digital economy and regulating public-passenger transport travel between states and cities. Apart from these, the Task Force would also resolve any other issues pertinent to state Government’s response to COVID-19 epidemic.
The Secretariat support to the Task Force would be provided by the Department of Governance Reforms. The Committee on Augmenting Human Resource & Capacity Building setup by the State Government on April 11 would also provide all required support to this task force including coordination with Government Departments and institutions, added the Chief Secretary.
