Kangra admn moves to check hoarding of oxygen cylinders
Lalit Mohan
Tribune News Service
Dharamsala, April 29
The Kangra district administration is taking steps to check the hoarding of oxygen cylinders, the demand of which has been rising due to the spurt in Covid-19 cases.
District Magistrate, Kangra, Rakesh Prajapati told The Tribune that all traders, dealers, industrial units and medium, small, and micro enterprises (MSMEs), private hospitals and persons shall declare their stocks of oxygen cylinders to the General Manager, Industries, within 24 hours at gmdickgr@gmail.com.
“All SDMs have been directed to constitute teams of Executive Magistrates, civil supplies inspectors, Enforcement Officers, Industries, and police officials to physically inspect storage of oxygen cyclinders in all industrial units, other enterprises and by private individuals. The GM, Industries, along with other officials has been directed to prepare an inventory of oxygen cylinders available with individuals, industries and other private enterprises,” he said.
Teams to be set up
All SDMs have been directed to constitute teams of Executive Magistrates, civil supplies inspectors, Enforcement Officers, Industries, and police officials to inspect storage of oxygen cyclinders in all industrial units, other enterprises and by private individuals. —Rakesh Prajapati, DM, Kangra
Prajapati said that the orders had been issued under the Disaster Management Act that all private enterprises and individuals shall provide oxygen cylinders in their possession to the Health Department as and when required.
The SDMs had been authorised to take into possession oxygen cylinders lying in industries, with private individuals and traders in cases of an emergency in Covid hospitals, he added.
Sources said that the district administration had took the decision after reports that some people and enterprises were hoarding oxygen cylinders. Though enough oxygen is available with dealers in the district, there are not enough cylinders in circulation, creating difficulties in oxygen supply to patients in hospitals.
A trader dealing with the refilling of oxygen cylinders said that he had enough oxygen supply. However, people have filled oxygen cylinders in their houses and were not coming for refilling.
Some people had even rented cylinders but were not retuning them. The demand of beds with oxygen supply was increasing in Covid hospitals in the district.
