NEW DELHI: The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) on Sunday reviewed the situation arising out of the conflict in West Asia and carried out a detailed assessment on the availability of critical needs of the common people, including food, energy and fuel security.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who chaired the meeting, directed that a group of ministers and secretaries be created to work dedicatedly in a whole-of-government approach to deal with the effects of the West Asia conflict, said an official statement issued after the CCS meeting.
The prime minister said the conflict is an evolving situation and the entire world is affected in some form.
In such a situation, he said, all efforts must be made to safeguard the citizens from the impact of this conflict.
Modi instructed that all arms of government should work together to ensure the least inconvenience to the citizens.
Medium and long-term measures to ensure the continued availability of essential things were discussed in detail at the meeting.
"The ongoing conflict in West Asia will have significant short, medium and long-term impact on the global economy and its effect on India was assessed and counter-measures, both immediate and long-term, were discussed," the statement said.
The CCS, which is the highest decision-making body on security and strategic matters of the country, carried out a detailed assessment of the availability of critical needs of the common man, including food, energy and fuel security.
The expected impact and measures taken to address it across sectors like agriculture, fertilisers, food security, petroleum, power, MSMEs, exporters, shipping, trade, finance, supply chains and all affected sectors were discussed, the statement said.
The overall macro-economic scenario in the country and further measures to be taken were also discussed.
"Chaired a meeting of the CCS to review the mitigating measures in the wake of the ongoing conflict in West Asia," Modi said in a post on X.
He said the meeting saw extensive discussions on short, medium and long-term measures, including ensuring continued availability of fertilisers for farmers, diversifying import sources for key sectors, promoting exports to new destinations and more.
"We are committed to safeguarding our citizens from the impact of the conflict," he said.
The impact on farmers and their requirement for fertiliser for the kharif season was assessed at the CCS meeting.
The measures taken in the last few years to maintain adequate stocks of fertilisers will ensure timely availability and food security.
Alternative sources of fertilisers were also discussed to ensure continued availability in the future.
It was also determined that an adequate supply of coal stocks at all power plants would ensure no shortage of electricity in India.
Several measures were discussed to diversify the sources of imports required by chemicals, pharmaceuticals, petrochemicals and other industrial sectors.
Similarly, new export destinations to promote Indian goods will be developed in the near future, the statement said.
Cabinet Secretary T V Somanathan gave a detailed presentation on the global situation and mitigating measures taken so far and being planned by all concerned ministries and departments of the government of India.
Several measures proposed by different ministries will be prepared and implemented in the coming days after consultation with all stakeholders.
The PM also asked for proper coordination with state governments to ensure no black marketing and hoarding of important commodities.
Sources said the situation related to crude, gas and other petroleum products, and power and fertiliser sectors was reviewed in view of the evolving West Asia situation.
The focus of the meeting was on ensuring uninterrupted supply, stable logistics and efficient distribution across the country, they said.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar are members of the CCS, which is headed by the PM.
However, for Sunday's meeting, a number of senior ministers with the responsibilities of key ministries were invited to attend.
These ministers were Shivraj Singh Chouhan (Agriculture), J P Nadda (Health), Piyush Goyal (Commerce and Industry) and Ashwini Vaishnaw (Railways), Sarbananda Sonowal (Ports and Shipping), Manohar Lal Khattar (Power), Pralhad Joshi (Food and Consumer Affairs), Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu (Civil Aviation) and Hardeep Singh Puri (Petroleum).
National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval and the prime minister's two principal secretaries, P K Mishra and Shaktikanta Das, were also present.
On March 12, PM Modi had said that the war in West Asia has triggered a worldwide energy crisis, posing a critical test of national character that requires dealing with circumstances through peace, patience and increased public awareness.
The prime minister had emphasised that his government was working relentlessly to address disruptions that had emerged in international supply chains.
"Continuous efforts are also underway to determine how we can overcome the disruptions that have occurred in the supply chain," Modi had said.
The prime minister has spoken to many global leaders since the West Asia conflict started on February 28, when the US and Israel attacked Iran. Iran has retaliated by targeting Israel and several of its Gulf neighbours hosting US military bases.
Iran controls the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping route through which 20 per cent of the world's energy is transported. Since the conflict, very few ships have been allowed by Iran to cross it.
The blockade has resulted in severe disruptions in energy supply to many countries, including India.
Since the conflict, Modi has had telephonic conversations with leaders of Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan, France, Malaysia, Israel and Iran.