Middle East crisis: Rajnath Singh to head inter-ministerial group to monitor conflict-linked issues

NEW DELHI: Union minister Rajnath Singh is set to head an inter ministerial group to oversee issues arising from the ongoing Middle East conflict.

According to ANI sources, while Rajnath will lead, the group will have union home minister Amit Shah, union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman, and union petroleum minister Hardeep Singh Puri are among the members, along with other ministers.




This comes as concerns rise around energy security, oi land LPG supply and overall global order disruption. Earlier this week, PM Narendra Modi announced the creation of seven empowered groups to evaluate the effects of the ongoing military conflict in West Asia on energy supplies, essential commodities, and supply chains, and to devise strategies to mitigate its impact on the Indian economy.

Speaking in the Rajya Sabha, prime minister noted that the conflict has unsettled economies worldwide and warned that recovery from the disruptions would take time. Drawing on lessons from the government’s response during the Covid-19 pandemic, he said the groups would act as quick-response teams, focusing on critical areas including petrol and diesel, fertilisers, gas, supply chains, and inflation.

Meanwhile, specifically on fuel supplies, government has imposed export duties on diesel and turbine fuel, a move aimed at improving availability of these products in the domestic market, said the CBIC chairman on Friday. Meanwhile, the government also reduced special excise duties on petrol and diesel to address under-recoveries faced by Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) earlier in the day. This step was said to be intended to provide cushion for consumers, with officials indicating that retail prices of key fuels will remain unchanged.

Read more: Govt puts export duties on diesel, turbine oil; eyes Rs 1,500 cr collection
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