Health
Covid Crisis Management Centre to take over High-level Coordination Committee
The centre has almost all members of the committee, making the latter redundant.Tika R Pradhan
The government has decided to leave the High-level Coordination Committee for the Prevention and Control of Covid-19 dormant and allow the Corona Crisis Management Centre to take over its responsibilities.
“A recent Cabinet meeting decided to put the high-level coordination committee on hold as many committees won’t be necessary,” said Ghanashyam Bhusal, the agriculture minister. The Cabinet meeting on Wednesday also decided to induct three ministers to the CCMC.
According to ministers familiar with developments, with most members of the Centre also on the High-level Coordination Committee, two similar committees will not be necessary. Therefore, the centre will now take over the mandate of the high-level committee. Both the structures are led by Deputy Prime Minister Ishwar Pokhrel.
Minister Bhusal, however, said there was no discussion on dissolving the coordination committee.
After criticism from different quarters of the ineffectiveness of the high-level committee, the government had decided to form another structure led by Pokhrel himself. The Corona Crisis Management Centre involves Chief of the Army Staff and some ministers for proper implementation of policies and coordination.
The Centre includes Finance Minister Yubaraj Khatiwada, Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa, Minister for Federal Affairs and Local Development Hridayesh Tripathi; Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies Lekhraj Bhatta; Health Minister Bhanubhakta Dhakal and Chief Secretary Lokdarshan Regmi as members besides Army Chief Purna Chandra Thapa.
With Wednesday’s cabinet meeting deciding to include three more ministers— Agriculture Minister Bhusal, Tourism Minister Yogesh Bhattarai and Energy Minister Barshaman Pun, the Centre now has nine members.
Bhusal and Bhattarai were members of the High-level Coordination Committee alongside Home Minister Thapa, Khatiwada, Bhatta, Dhakal, Regmi, Foreign Minister Pradeep Gyawali and Education Minister Girirajmani Pokhrel. The 11-member committee formed as per the Cabinet decision of March 1 has Secretary at the Prime minister’s Office Narayan Prasad Bidari as member secretary.