COVID-19: Ensure supply of essential goods are intact, says Pradhan

NEW DELHI: Petroleum and Natural Gas and Steel Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Tuesday held a review meeting with the top management of PSUS under the administrative control of his ministries to take stock of the situation amid the coronavirus outbreak, sources said. The minister chaired the meeting via video-conferencing in which the heads of ONGC, GAIL, SAIL, RINL, NMDC, MOIL and KIOCL, among others, participated, sources said.

In the meeting, he reviewed the status of supplies of petroleum products in the country, operations of refineries, and functioning of important sites at steel plants, a source said.

One of the sources said the minister was working from home on Tuesday.

Pradhan also enquired about measures being taken by the management for the employees and their families to protect them from the spread of coronavirus.

The minister also directed the chiefs to take necessary steps to make sure that supplies of essential goods for the employees and their families are not affected during the lockdown. The CMDS have also been asked to ensure supply of essential goods at plants and sites are also not affected.

On Monday, the steel ministry held a meeting with the management of PSUS under its control to take stock of the situation amid the coronavirus outbreak, and asked them not to reduce production. Steel Secretary Binoy Kumar chaired the meeting, via video-conferencing, in which senior officials of SAIL, RINL, NMDC, MOIL and KIOCL, among others, participated.