HC asks Centre to explain if states other than Delhi got more oxygen

The Delhi High Court on Thursday (April 29) asked the Centre to explain if states like Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra have received more oxygen than requested.

The direction came when the Delhi government told the court that all other states have been supplied with more oxygen, but not Delhi. The court has asked the Centre to explain if the charges are true.

The Delhi government listed details of the oxygen supplied to all states during the hearing in High Court. “All states have been given what they asked for. The only state that has been left out is Delhi,” said the state government. The Centre responded by saying the matter has become political.

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A PTI report said that the court then went on to ask: “Why Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra got more oxygen than they asked for, but Delhi getting less oxygen than what it asked for?” The Centre asked the court if the details regarding the oxygen demand and supply need to be recorded in the order. The court said it wants the Centre to respond.

“We make it clear that by no means are we interested in securing for Delhi oxygen more than what is required and that too at the cost of any other state or Union Territory. However, if submissions of the Delhi government and the amicus are accepted, it would appear that Centre needs to explain this aspect,” said the court.

“Our findings will be based on the Centre’s affidavit and their arguments before us. Centre should expedite the process of the PSA oxygen plants at the earliest.”

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The Delhi government has said that ideally people should be having all information. “Right now, the worry is that if you open Remdesivir for all, then the demand is so huge that we will never be able to match demand and supply.”

On Tuesday (April 27) the High Court had asked the Delhi government to put its “house in order” over its failure to check black marketing of oxygen cylinders. “If you can’t manage it, tell us. Then we will ask the Central government to take over. We can’t let people die,” a bench said, adding “the system has failed”.