The Jharkhand government on Monday formed a group of state ministers that will advise on policy decisions to tackle the viurs threat.

The group, comprising finance minister Rameshwar Oraon, health minister Banna Gupta and minister of labour and employment Satyanand Bhokta, will also will ensure lockdown guidelines are effectively implemented.

The decision was taken during a cabinet meeting chaired by chief minister Hemant Soren at the Project Building here on Monday afternoon.

The cabinet, however, did not take any decision on whether or not to extend in Jharkhand the 21-day lockdown that is supposed to end on Tuesday.

“Extension of the lockdown depends upon the recommendation made by the group and what the state government decides,” said cabinet secretary Ajoy Kumar Singh. “Whatever decision about the lockdown is taken by the state or the central government, the group of ministers will ensure its execution.”

The meeting took decisions to battle the economic distress sparked by the lockdown.

The cabinet decided to cover around 7 lakh families under the National Food Security Act, 2013, for April and May. Each such family will get 10kg food grains per month at Re 1 per kg.

“This special provision has been made for families not covered under the Antyodaya Yojana. We have identified 697443 families who have applied for ration cards and their request is pending. Such families will be covered for a period of two months,” said Singh.

A sum of Rs 36.11 crore was sanctioned for procurement of food grains for the families. The government will also distribute 1kg salt extra to BPL (below poverty line) families in April and May for which Rs 10 crore will be spent.

State MLAs were authorised to utilise up to Rs 25 lakh from their local area development fund to extend financial support to poor families.

“On the recommendation of MLAs each such family will be given Rs 1,000 as financial assistance. For families where any earning member is stranded out of Jharkhand due to the lockdown MLAs can recommend payment of Rs 2,000,” Singh said.

The cabinet also declared 55 blocks of seven districts — Bokaro, Chatra, Pakur, Deoghar, Giridih, Godda and Hazaribagh — as drought hit.

State Covid count rises to 24