Covid-19: PM chairs high-level meet on oxygen supply; calls for tough action against hoarding

With several states sounding the alarm over an acute shortage of oxygen, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday called for tough action against hoarding of oxygen and directed officials to ensure faster transportation of oxygen to states.

Chairing a high-level meeting, Modi stressed the need to fix responsibility with the local administration in cases of obstruction as he reviewed the situation of oxygen supply across the country and discussed ways and means to boost its availability.

In the meeting, which was attended by Cabinet Secretary, Principal Secretary to PM, Home Secretary, Health Secretary and officials from Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Ministry of Road Transport, Pharmaceuticals and NITI Aayog, the Prime Minister spoke about the need to work rapidly on multiple aspects--- increasing production of oxygen, increasing the speed of distribution and using innovative ways to provide oxygen support to health facilities.

On the issue of ensuring faster transportation of oxygen to the states, it was discussed that the Indian Railways was being used for rapid and non-stop long-distance transport of tankers with the first rake reaching from Mumbai to Vizag to transport 105 MT of liquid medical oxygen. Similarly, empty oxygen tanks were also being air-lifted to oxygen suppliers to reduce one-way journey time in oxygen supply, the officials told the PM.

Read: How a Covid-19 spike is sucking the oxygen out of India

Representatives from the medical community also spoke about the need for judicious use of oxygen and how an audit in some states had decreased oxygen demand without affecting the condition of patients. PM also stressed that the states should come down heavily on hoarding.

Modi was informed that an elaborate exercise is being conducted in coordination with the states to identify their demand for oxygen and to ensure adequate supply accordingly.

The PM was briefed on how oxygen supply to states was steadily increasing. Against the present demand of 6,785 MT/day of LMO from 20 states, the Government of India allocated 6,822 MT/day to these states from April 21, an official statement said.

The Centre has also invoked provisions of the stringent Disaster Management Act, 2005 to order uninterrupted production and supply of the life-saving gas.

In a two-page letter issued to the states, Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla said that there should be no restriction on the movement of medical oxygen between the states and transport authorities shall be instructed to accordingly allow free inter-state movement of oxygen carrying vehicles.

Read: Other states usurping oxygen meant for Delhi: Kejriwal

The order came against the backdrop of allegations by the Haryana government that oxygen meant for Haryana was "looted" by the Delhi government and the Delhi government complaining that cops from Uttar Pradesh and Haryana were blocking Delhi's oxygen supply. Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia went to the extent of saying that the Centre should ensure supply even if that requires taking paramilitary help.

Issuing a new directive, the Home Ministry put the onus of any violation of its order on the district magistrate and superintendent of police of the concerned district, asking the states to ensure uninterrupted production and supply of medical oxygen and its transport along inter-state borders.

The order said that no restrictions shall be imposed on oxygen manufacturers and suppliers to limit the oxygen supplies only to the hospitals of the state and the Union Territory in which they are located.

"There shall be free movement of oxygen carrying vehicles into the cities, without any restriction of timings, while also enabling inter-city supply without any restriction. No authority shall attach the oxygen-carrying vehicles passing through the district or areas for making supplies specific to any particular district or area," it said.

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It also directed the states and Union Territories to strictly abide by the supply plan of medical oxygen prepared by Empowered Group-I and as revised from time-to-time.

"To ensure the uninterrupted supply of medical oxygen across the country for management of COVID-19 patients, in exercise of powers conferred under section of the DM Act, the undersigned, in the capacity as chairperson, National Executive Committee, hereby directs the state and Union Territory governments and state and Union Territory authorities to ensure the following measures within their areas of jurisdiction," the home secretary said.

In the home ministry order, Bhalla said the availability of adequate and uninterrupted supply of medical oxygen is an important prerequisite for managing moderate and severe cases of Covid-19 and with the increasing cases, the medical oxygen supply will need to keep pace with the requirements of the states and union territories.