New Delhi: Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh today rolled out a new initiative, involving youth, to take forward the state’s Mission Fateh 2.0 as part of the ‘Corona Mukt Punjab Abhiyan’ (Covid-free Punjab Campaign). The initiative was launched with directions to form groups of seven Rural Corona Volunteers (RCVs) per village or municipal ward as a cadre to fight the pandemic. The Chief Minister said that as the villages were more badly affected in the second wave of COVID, it was important to drive a strong campaign to free villages from corona.
The CM directed the Department of Sports & Youth Affairs and DCs to immediately form RCVs to be the torchbearers in the war against the contagion. He said, existing clubs can also become RCVs and these could work as a powerful support system for the Panchayats and Municipalities in the war against COVID.
Interacting with youth from rural and urban areas through video conferencing, the Chief Minister said as a result of the support of the people, the number of cases in the state had come down from around 9000 to 4000 plus in about three weeks. But given the impact on rural areas this time, the situation continues to be grave.
The Chief Minister tasked the RCVs with carrying forward the 3Ts drive -Test, Trace and Treat, taking care of poor and elderly and connecting them to the Covid Control Rooms and helplines, conducting Theekri Pehras in all villages, promoting Covid appropriate behaviour, assisting villagers in accessing adequate healthcare, discouraging Quacks, encouraging download of COVA App, besides preparing and displaying banners and pamphlets.
The Chief Minister announced that the Department of Youth Affairs has started distributing 1 Lakh Badges and 4 Lakh Car Stickers carrying the message “I AM VACCINATED”, and urged the RCVs to encourage people to flaunt their Vaccination Status.
Expressing concern over shortage of vaccines, the CM said, the state government is trying to procure vaccines from all possible sources to meet the demand.
On the occasion, Youth icon and Brand Ambassador of State’s Covid Vaccine Campaign, Sonu Sood underscored the need to create awareness among people especially in rural areas about the importance of vaccination.
The event was simultaneously telecast in all districts, sub-divisional headquarters, as well as 500 rural and urban locations, presided over by Speaker, Deputy Speaker, Ministers, MPs, MLAs, DCs, SDMs, Mayors, Presidents of MCs, Chairmen and Members of Zila Parishads, and Panchayat Samitis/Sarpanches.