Mumbai: Maharashtra government on Monday brought to the Centre’s notice that of the allocation of 1,784 MT oxygen, 1,250 MT is already procured from the producers within the state. Therefore, the government has said that the Centre's additional allocation of 534 MT oxygen is not adequate in the wake of increasing demand amid rising Covid-19 patients. Of the 534 MT, the state was already procured about 350 MT from the adjoining states.
The state government on Monday reiterated its demand for the allocation of 500 MT of oxygen to meet the increasing demand.
The state needs 1,550 metric tonnes of medical oxygen to treat coronavirus patients every day and about 300 to 350 metric tons is being procured from outside. Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray urged PM Modi that instead of distant states, if the supply could be arranged from neighbouring states, it would be available early.
Thackeray had said more than 60,000 patients in the state are on oxygen support while there are 76,300 oxygen beds and over 25,000 additional oxygen beds were being arranged.
Chief Secretary Sitaram Kunte in his recent letter to the Cabinet Secretary Rahiv Gauba said based on a conservative estimate, the state needs at least 500 additional MT per day of oxygen from various sources outside the state till April 30. He said the state government with the support of Indian Railways is organising Ro-Ro transportation of cryogenic liquid medical oxygen tankers on railway wagons to reduce the turnaround time and ensure early transportation.
Meanwhile, the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee spokesman Sachin Sawant said the state is receiving only 345 MT per day from the Centre. ‘’The Centre has not provided 1,784 MT of oxygen per day as claimed by BJP. The state government has demanded 500 MT in addition to its own capacity of 1,250 MT per day,’’ he noted.
