No.736/2019-2020

The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, along with the Vice President of India, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu, today (March 27, 2020) held a video-conference with all Governors, Lieutenant Governors and Administrators of all States and Union Territories to find ways to complement the efforts of the Government of India and the State Governments in meeting the challenges arising from the outbreak of COVID-19.  Governor P.S. Sreedharan Pillai of Mizoram had also attended the Video Conferencing of the Governors with the President of India.

The President began the conference by exhorting to the collective strength of the society and urged Governors, LGs and Administrators to mobilise volunteers of Indian Red Cross society, voluntary and religious organisations to contain the menace at the earliest. 

President Kovind and Vice President Naidu expressed hope that the Indian society’s inherent strength of "sharing and caring” and the government’s measures would mitigate the sufferings of the most vulnerable sections of the society, particularly the workers of the unorganised sectors and the destitute. In the video-conference, 14 Governors and Delhi Lt. Governor were shortlisted to share experiences in their territories as these areas were worst affected by the pandemic. 

The video conference was conducted by the Vice President and it brought out the best practices initiated by various States to mitigate the people’s plight while enforcing the lock down in the country. 

The discussions related to the status of COVID-19 in the States, the role of the Red Cross with focus on vulnerable sections, and the role of civil society/voluntary organisations in complementing the efforts of the Union and State governments to contain the spread of the Novel Coronavirus, especially with the lockdown and other challenges emerging from the evolving situation.