NEW DELHI: In the wake of the prevailing warlike situation between India and Pakistan, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Friday shot off a letter to the states and the Union territories asking them to invoke emergency powers under civil defence rules for efficient implementation of the necessary precautionary measures.
In the letter, the MHA reminded the state authorities and UT administrations about their power and responsibility to undertake all necessary actions for the protection of people and property, and to ensure the uninterrupted functioning of vital services during a hostile attack.
A senior MHA official quoting the letter said, “Section 11 of the Civil Defense Rules, 1968 empowers state governments to take swift action in emergencies to protect people and property from harm or damage. It also ensures that essential services, including electricity, water supply and transportation, continue to function uninterrupted during such crises.”
The states have also been asked to invoke the emergency powers they have to ensure mandatory procurement of equipment and other essentials under the rule, the official said, adding that they have also been mandated to mobilize and use their own funds to meet the cost of procuring them.
India-Pakistan tensions are at a boiling point right now after Pakistan attacked India with a wave of missiles and drones targeting several Indian cities along its western border.