Centre approaches SC against K’taka HC order to increase Oxygen quota
Thursday, 6 May 2021 (20:24 IST)
New Delhi: The Centre on Thursday moved the Supreme Court challenging the Karnataka High Court order asking it to increase the liquid medical oxygen allocation for the state to 1,200 MT per day from the present 965 MT amid the second wave of Covid-19.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, on behalf of the Centre, also sought a stay on the high court order before the bench of Justices D Y Chandrachud and MR Shah.
The bench stated that it will have to look at the paper book before issuing any order in the matter.
The SG argued that the High Court failed to consider the rationale behind the allocation of certain amounts of oxygen to each State.
On May 4, the Karnataka HC bench headed by Chief Justice AS Oka had questioned the Centre’s reluctance to increase the allocation for the state amid the tragic incident that happened at Chamarajnagar, in which 24 people died at a COVID hospital on Sunday due to lack of oxygen supply.
Notably, the liquid oxygen allocation is controlled by the Central Government and the state cannot exceed the cap even if the oxygen is produced within the state.
Capital city Bengaluru is having two-thirds of Karnataka’s cases and facing an acute crunch.
Late last month, Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa had requested the Centre to provide 1,500 metric tonnes of oxygen daily to the state amid a surge in Covid cases. (UNI)
