Oxygen Crisis: Now Centre moves Supreme Court against Karnataka High Court order over O2 supply

Karnataka CM BS Yediyurappa said that the Centre has allocated 4 tankers of 20 MT capacity each to Karnataka to augment its supply capacity.

After Delhi, it’s now Karnataka’s turn to fight the Oxygen battle out in the country’s highest court. The Centre today moved the Supreme Court against an order of the Karnataka High Court asking the Centre to increase the state’s daily quota of Oxygen. The Karnataka High Court has asked the Centre to increase daily liquid medical oxygen (LMO) allocation for the state to 1200 MT from the present 965 MT for treating COVID-19 patients. The bench, however, said that it will pass an order only after looking at the papers.

Yesterday, Karnataka CM BS Yediyurappa said that the Centre has allocated 4 tankers of 20 MT capacity each to Karnataka to augment its supply capacity. Of these, two containers had arrived at NMPT, Mangaluru yesterday. “Five empty containers have been airlifted to Odisha through IAF flights which will pick up about 74 MT of oxygen and reach Karnataka by road in a day or two,” said Yediyurappa yesterday.

In order to augment the supply of medical oxygen to our state, Union Govt has allocated 4 tankers of 20 MT capacity each to Karnataka. Of these, two containers have arrived at NMPT, Mangaluru today. (1/2)@PMOIndia @AmitShah pic.twitter.com/aPO70VQQ4e

— CM of Karnataka (@CMofKarnataka) May 5, 2021

Meanwhile, the Congress has expressed shock over the Centre’s decision to move Supreme Court against the High Court’s decision. President of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee D K Shivakumar claimed that the projected demand in Karnataka is 1,471 MT while the Centre has allocated only 865 MT. “Will CM BS Yediyurappa and BJP MPs remain mute spectators when people are dying of Oxygen shortage?” he tweeted.

Shocked to see the Central Govt moving the SC challenging the Karnataka HC order to supply 1200 MT of Oxygen to the state

Projected demand is 1471 MT but central allocation is only 865 MT

Will CM @BSYBJP & BJP MPs remain mute spectators when people are dying of Oxygen shortage?

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— DK Shivakumar (@DKShivakumar) May 6, 2021

Many cities across the country are facing an Oxygen shortage. Delhi has been at the loggerheads with the Centre over supply, allocation and quota of the Oxygen being given to it. The Supreme Court has been hearing both sides and had asked the Centre to give Delhi 700 MT of Oxygen daily. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today wrote to PM Narendra Modi thanking him for supplying 730 MT of Oxygen yesterday. “Delhi has a consumption of 700 metric tonnes of oxygen on a daily basis. We have been urging the Centre on a regular basis to give us 700 metric tonnes. It was for the first time yesterday that Delhi received 730 metric tonnes,” he said in the letter.