Highlights:
- Delhi High Court hears Delhi government’s oxygen concern from Central government
- Delhi High Court asks the Centre to “Justify Or Make Amends” the Delhi Oxygen grant
- “We have to rise as Indians. This is the single biggest challenge India has faced,” the judges pointed out.
The Delhi High Court, on Thursday, said that there are states like Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra who were given more oxygen than they had asked for, however, the Arvind Kejriwal-led government’s repeated appeals for more oxygen were not granted, and questioned the Centre about the rationale involved.
The Central government has to either give a valid justification for this or “make amends”, said the two-judge bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and Rekha Palli during the hearing.
The Delhi HC said, “What’s happening in Delhi? Why are we struck in 490 metric tonnes here? People close to us are not getting oxygen beds. You too are aware of it. We are getting calls for oxygen beds, hospitals. Even you must be getting calls”.
The judges pointed out, “We have to rise as Indians. This is the single biggest challenge India has faced”.
Representing the Central government, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, said, “If there is any extra allocation to Madhya Pradesh, it is because of the surge in cases in two of their districts.
“It is not NDA government versus others. It is the Centre which is working with the states”.
Delhi had sought an urgent oxygen allocation, saying though its present allocation was 490 metric tonnes, it only received 400 metric tonnes on Wednesday. This is up from the 300 metric tonnes which the national capital received last week, said the AAP government while also adding, “Without your lordships, we wouldn’t have got it”.
Also Read: Covaxin Vs Covishield: All You Need To Know Before Getting The Vaccine
The Delhi government, which is reporting 24,000 to 28,000 cases for almost 14 days, is seeking 780 metric tonnes of oxygen. Delhi’s oxygen requirements were projected at 700 metric tonnes last week, but the allocation was 480 metric tonnes, which was later increased to 490 metric tonnes.
The oxygen shortage in Delhi has brought hospitals to their knees since last week. In at least one hospital, doctors attributed the deaths of 25 patients to the shortage of oxygen.
Other hospitals have periodically stopped new admission while the shortage of oxygen was grave.
In the absence of oxygen and beds in the national capital, patients have been seen waiting outside the hospitals, in the ambulances, autos and in some cases even on two-wheelers.
Several patients have died waiting on the road.
Today, the central government reiterated that all the allotments are made based on the calculation by officials.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said, “There are states which received less than what they had asked for. We have been rationalising”.
Earlier today, AAP Government placed a list of demands and allocation made by states before the judges. The Delhi HC said, there appears to be enough oxygen production in the country, the problem lies in transportation, with the country not having enough cryogenic tankers.
