PM Modi to discuss West Asia conflict impact with CMs today

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Friday will hold a video conference with Chief Ministers of all States, barring those going to polls, to discuss the emerging situation in view of the West Asia conflict.

The meeting is scheduled to be held around 6.30 pm. The Cabinet Secretariat will hold a separate video conference with the Chief Secretaries of the poll-bound States of Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Assam, Kerala, and the Union Territory of Puducherry on the issue.

This comes days after the go­v­ernment held an all-party mee­ting, chaired by Defence Minis­ter Rajnath Singh and att­e­nded by Home Minister Amit Shah, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and other senior ministers, on the developments in West Asia. Earlier this week, Modi also addressed both Houses of Parliament on the issue.

On Sunday, Modi chaired a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) and took stock of the situation. He directed that a team of Ministers and Secretaries be created in this regard for a “whole of government approach”.

According to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office after the CCS meeting, Cabinet Secretary T V Somanathan gave a detailed presentation on the “global situation and mitigating measures taken so far and being planned” by the Central ministries and departments concerned.

“The expected impact and measures taken to address it across sectors like agriculture, fertilisers, food security, petroleum, power, MSMEs, exporters, shipping, trade, finance, supply chains and all affected sectors were discussed. The overall macro-economic scenario in the country and further measures to be taken were also discussed,” the statement said.

“The ongoing conflict in West Asia will have significant short, medium and long-term impact on the global economy, and its effect on India was assessed and counter-measures, both immediate and long-term, were discussed,” it said.

On Monday, the Centre set up seven Empowered Groups of Secretaries to monitor and assess the impact of the West Asia situation and take necessary remedial measures, including developing short, medium and long-term strategies to mitigate the adverse effects of any disruption. These groups are on lines of the Empowered Groups constituted to formulate the government’s response to the Covid pandemic in 2020.

Harikishan Sharma, Senior Assistant Editor at The Indian Express' National Bureau, specializes in reporting on governance, policy, and data. He covers the Prime Minister’s Office and pivotal central ministries, such as the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, Ministry of Cooperation, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Ministry of Rural Development, and Ministry of Jal Shakti. His work primarily revolves around reporting and policy analysis. In addition to this, he authors a weekly column titled "STATE-ISTICALLY SPEAKING," which is prominently featured on The Indian Express website. In this column, he immerses readers in narratives deeply rooted in socio-economic, political, and electoral data, providing insightful perspectives on these critical aspects of governance and society. ... Read More

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