States told to coordinate with 1,000 NGOs to contain Covid

The Centre has identified 1,000 non-governmental organisations and has directed state governments to appoint nodal officers to coordinate with them for the supply of oxygen, medicines and spreading awareness of the pandemic. NGOs will be responsible for ensuring Covid-19 appropriate behaviour such as use of mask, social distancing, vaccinations and distribution of government relief.

The home ministry had last week held discussion with state disaster management authority and representatives of NGOs and asked them to coordinate with district committees to ensure supply and availability of oxygen and medical equipment and ration for the poor.

“We have asked state authorities to appoint nodal officers responsible for coordinating with NGOs,” a senior home ministry official said. Several NGOs have approached the Centre for setting up a mechanism for relief and rescue work in tier II cities and rural areas after which the home ministry drew a contingency plan to rope in NGOs. “The state and district coordination committee will be responsible for identifying the role to be played by the organisations. In many districts, there is scarcity of oxygen and medicines while in other cases, isolation camps and quarantine facilities are to be set up,” a senior MHA official said.


NGOs can be roped in for containment measures too. MHA had asked states and UTs to identify districts where positivity had been more than 10% or more in the last one week or where bed occupancy was more than 60%. Intensive measures should be taken in such districts for containing the pandemic. MHA officials said a second coordination meeting with states and NGOs is likely to be held this week where names of nodal officers will be finalised.

Officials added that philanthropic organisations have also sought relaxation in use of foreign donations so that medical and logistical aid can be supplied to NGOs working in rural and semi urban areas. As per FCRA, NGOs were not allowed to spend more than 20% for administrative expenses. Aadhaar number of all office bearers, directors and other key functionaries were made mandatory too.