War in West Asia: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will today, March 27, interact with Chief Ministers of States and Union Territories to review preparedness and plans in the wake of the ongoing war in west asia, This was reported by press agencies citing government sources.
Chief ministers of states and one UT going to polls will not attend the meeting, they said. A virtual meeting, likely scheduled for 6:30 p.m., will assess the implications of the event ongoing war in West Asia for India, especially in terms of LPG and crude oil supplies.
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The aim of the meeting is to ensure synergy of efforts in the spirit of “Team India”, the agencies said.
It is the first time the prime minister will meet chief ministers on the conflict in West Asia, which began on February 28 with a US-Israeli attack on Iran. The Persian nation also retaliated by firing at its Gulf neighbors and Israel.
“The PM will interact with the CM through video conference on the conflict in West Asia in the evening to review the preparedness and plans of the states. The meeting will focus on ensuring synergy of efforts in the spirit of Team India,” a source told news agency PTI.
Chief Ministers of states approaching elections will not attend this meeting due to the Model Code of Conduct (MCC). The Cabinet Secretariat will hold a separate meeting with the Chief Secretaries of Electoral Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Assam, Kerala and Union Territory of Puducherry.
The meeting will focus on preparedness measures, including supply chains, energy security and security of Indian citizens abroad. It will be held two days after the all-party meeting on the issue, which he is chairing Defense Minister Rajnath Singhon Wednesday.
In his speech in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday Prime minister he emphasized that the consequences of the war in the Middle East may last longer than expected and called on everyone to cooperate. He urged state governments to ensure that India’s strong growth trajectory is maintained.
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PM Modi also recalled the exemplary spirit of ‘Team India’ demonstrated during the Covid-19 pandemic, when the Center and states worked together for testing, vaccination and supply of essential goods. He stressed that the same spirit needs to be demonstrated now.
While making a similar statement in the Lok Sabha on Monday, the prime minister said the difficult global conditions caused by the conflict in West Asia were likely to persist for a long time and urged the nation to remain prepared and united.
The meeting comes in the middle escalating tensions in West Asiawhich disrupted critical maritime corridors and raised concerns about the security of Indian citizens in the Gulf countries.
The conflict in West Asia entered its fourth week, disrupting trade routes through the Strait of Hormuz. Tensions escalated after the killing of Iran’s 86-year-old supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khameneiin joint US-Israeli military strikes on February 28.
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In retaliation, Iran targeted Israeli and US assets in several Gulf countries, causing further disruption to the waterway and affecting international energy markets as well as global economic stability.
Fuel supply remains stable: Govt
The government said on Thursday that fuel supplies across the country remained stable and fuel retail outlets were operating normally despite continued developments in West Asia, urging the public not to believe rumors and resort to panic buying.
According to a statement issued by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, “All retail outlets are operating as normal across the country,” although there have been reports of panic buying in some areas due to rumours.
with Strait of Hormuz still closed, the government has taken several steps to maintain the supply of LPG and petroleum products nationwide. The statement said LPG supply has been affected by the prevailing geopolitical situation, but domestic supply remains normal.
The difficult global conditions caused by the conflict in West Asia are likely to persist for a long time.
Key things
- The aim of the meeting is to ensure a coordinated effort between states in response to the conflict in West Asia.
- Energy security and supply chain stability are major concerns amid the ongoing war.
- The spirit of ‘Team India’ is essential to meet the current geopolitical challenges.
So far, “no drying up at LPG distributors” has been reported and “the supply of domestic LPG cylinders is normal,” the ministry said.
