Amid speculation over an imminent cabinet reshuffle, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a meeting with his council of ministers, during which a presentation on the ongoing Covid-19 vaccination programme was made, sources said.
In the almost four-hour meeting, Modi, who chaired the meeting, urged the ministers to work hard to overcome the damage caused by the second surge of the pandemic and to see that a third wave does not hit the country badly, sources added. Niti Aayog member V K Paul made the presentation on the progress of the vaccination programme.
In the virtual meeting, which followed a series of meetings the PM had with his senior ministers to review the performance of key ministries, there were presentations by the ministries of road, transport, telecom and civil aviation
While the presentation by Paul, who heads India’s Covid 19 task force, was on the current Covid situation and the progress in the vaccination programme, the PM spoke on the pandemic situation and the importance of being alert. He said the vaccination programme should be scaled up so that a third wave is prevented. Modi told the ministers to “go back to governance issues” while continuing efforts to contain the virus spread, sources added.
The PM wanted the ministers to make efforts to see that Covid protocols are followed, remove vaccine hesitancy and conduct the vaccination drive effectively.
The meeting assumes significance in the backdrop of the Centre facing criticism for its handling of the pandemic situation during the second wave. However, the Centre has launched a massive vaccination drive aiming to vaccinate all adults by December.
The PM had a five-hour meeting with BJP general secretaries earlier this month, in which he discussed the party’s performance in the recent Assembly elections and suggested ways ahead for the party.