Why are some states getting more oxygen, while others less? Delhi HC asks Centre
New Delhi, Apr 29 (FN Bureau) The Delhi High Court on Thursday asked the Centre to explain why some states are getting more medical oxygen than required while others less. The query came during the hearing of the suo moto case of Covid crisis in the national capital during which the Delhi government told the court that is getting less quantity of medical oxygen from the Centre than demanded. Taking note of the submission, a Division Bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and Rekha Palli, asked the Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre to reply in a day on allocation to Delhi.
At least 45 Covid patients have died in Delhi hospitals due to an alleged shortage of life-saving oxygen gas. The Delhi government has been alleging that with the sporadic rise in hospitalisation of Covid patients, it requires 700 metric tonnes of medical oxygen but receiving nearly half of it from the Centre. Senior Advocate Rajshekhar Rao, appointed as the Amicus Curiae, as per LiveLaw, told the court that states of Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh are receiving more oxygen than what is required and suggested that the surplus should be diverted to the national capital. Rao informed the Court that as of April 21, MP asked for around 440 MT, and got around 545 MT. He also shared the figures for Maharashtra as well, which demanded about 1500 MT, and received about 1616 MT.
To this, the divisional bench asked the SG, “You will have to explain if one state has demanded x, and another y but the other is getting more. You need to explain, why?” Mehta replied that if they [MP, Maharashtra] are being given more, it is because of a surge there. Also, the Centre is doing what it can to help Delhi but they are unable to pick up the allocated amount, he added. The Court asked the Centre to explain the chart of allocation of oxygen by Centre to States and also why some states are getting more oxygen while others rest. People in Delhi are running pillar to post either for Covid oxygen bed or oxygen cylinder as the health infrastructure has fallen short to take the load to cases of Covid-19 which have increased manifold times.