FM Nirmala Sitharaman to meet other ministries to assess COVID-19 impact

FM Nirmala Sitharaman. (PTI/File)

To assess the economic impact of pandemic COVID-19, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will hold a meeting with the ministers for Animal Husbandry, Dairy & Fisheries, Civil Aviation, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), and Tourism on Friday. The government is expected to offer some relief measures for the sectors affected from the pandemic.

The meeting to take feedback from various economic ministries comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi Thursday announced formation of a task force under Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman which will take necessary actions “in the near future” after analysing the coronavirus pandemic situation.

The Finance Ministry has already held some meetings with various ministries and departments and is monitoring the economic situation as a fallout of the COVID-19 outbreak.

In his address to the nation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said keeping in mind economic challenges posed by the coronavirus outbreak, a COVID-19 Economic Response Task Force will be set up.