Scientific, health experts are playing important role in decision making: NITI Aayog member

India's scientific and health experts are playing an important role in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic and the task force is leveraging the best minds and playing a leading role in decision making, Niti Aayog member V K Paul said on Wednesday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is regularly being briefed regarding the pandemic and his inputs are being sought by the task force, he added.

Paul heads an empowered group on medical equipment and management plan.

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"India's scientific and health experts are playing an important role in the fight against COVID-19. The task force is leveraging the best minds and playing a leading role in decision making," the Press Information Bureau (PIB) said in a tweet quoting Paul.

The PIB was reacting to a story of newsmagazine which had claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not consult the 21-member scientific COVID-19 taskforce before extending the lockdown.

"Prime Minister is regularly getting briefed and his inputs are sought. The attempts to invoke sensationalism and create fissures where none exists are unfortunate. Such efforts by a media outlet damage our national endeavour to fight this pandemic," it said in another tweet quoting Paul.

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Refuting the newsmagazine's claim, the PIB said, "All decisions were taken after consulting the task force."

On March 29, the government constituted 11 empowered groups to suggest measures to fight the pandemic.