Congress will set up control rooms at the state and district levels as well as a central control room in Delhi to coordinate efforts with regard to measures taken to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, as also the hardship caused by imposition of lockdown.
A decision in this regard was taken at a meeting held today via video conferencing of AICC general secretaries, in-charges, PCC presidents, CLP leaders and heads of frontal organisations. The meet assessed and discussed the preparedness of PCCs and party organisations in fighting the pandemic. In the meeting, which was attended by 82 participants, including leaders like Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Ahmed Patel, K.C. Venugopal and Randeep Surjewala, the PCC chiefs and CLP leaders shared the actions taken so far in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown, and discussed further measures to be taken in this regard in their respective states.
The participants suggested that Congress President Sonia Gandhi and former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi interact with the party workers and the general public on a regular basis with regard to the pandemic and the measures being taken to contain it.
The state representatives told the meeting that they were supporting medical, paramedical persons and sanitation workers in hospitals and health centres.
General Secretary (Organisation) Venugopal advised the PCCs to set up a strong monitoring system in the states and ensure party presence everywhere.
In view of lockdown, the PCCs have been advised to ask the state governments to issue passes for party workers for distribution of food and medicine kits. PCC presidents have asked the MPs and MLAs from their respective states to make generous contribution from their MPLADS and MLA funds to equip hospitals and other institutions to cope with the current crisis.
The state units have been asked to bring to the notice of the relevant authorities non-implementation of central financial schemes and to put pressure in such instances to ensure implementation.
In Maharashtra and Kerala, where maximum COVID-19 cases have been reported, the PCCs have been asked to put a plan of action in place to resolve hardships being faced by people.
In many states, control room and helpline have been already set up. In states like Kerala, the party is running community kitchens, and other state units have been asked to emulate this.
The state units have been asked to raise issues such as supply-chain deadlocks and provide food and other essential amenities to the large number of migrant workers who have headed home in view of the lockdown.
