PM Modi, Amit Shah directly monitoring oxygen supplies amid COVID-19 crisis: Centre tells Supreme Court

The Centre today in Supreme Court credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah for boosting the supply of oxygen in the country. It said both PM and Home Minister are working towards increasing oxygen supply on a war footing in order to ease the burden on Covid-19 patients.

Despite adequate restrictions, curbs, health infrastructure, the COVID-19 situation in India hasn't come under control yet. Given a spurt in the cases, the Central Government today submitted a national plan for Covid-19 preparedness to the Supreme Court. The plan lists Centre's plan for the distribution of essential supplies and services during the pandemic.

The Centre in its 200-page affidavit, filed in the suo motu case in distribution of essential services and supplies during the Covid-19 pandemic said that any deviation in plan for any particular state (either under a judicial order or otherwise) without keeping in mind the national availability or ever changing requirements of each state will have “cascading effect on oxygen supply to other States.”

The covid plan does not include microscopic details as to the day-to-day management of the issues arising out of different disasters.

Amid the alarming situation in the country, the apex court had directed the Centre to submit a national Covid plan listing details of its plans for production and distribution of oxygen, essential drugs, health care infrastructure and vaccines.

Steps such as giving industrial oxygen production plants license to produce medical-grade liquid oxygen are being taken. The availability of oxygen tankers is also being increased, the Centre told the SC.

A bench of Justices DY Chandrachud, L Nageswara Rao and S Ravindra Bhat took the affidavit on record and posted the matter for further hearing on Friday.

The Centre also told the SC that oxygen requirements in several states increased much faster than forecast.