Centre raps Arvind Kejriwal govt over logistical issues to procure oxygen

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 27

In a hard-hitting letter to Delhi Chief Secretary Vijay Dev, Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla has rapped the Arvind Kejriwal government for its alleged failure in resolving logistical issues relating to transportation of oxygen to city hospitals.

Noting that pro-active actions by the Delhi Government could have “avoided tragic incidents”, sources in the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), quoting the letter, said, the Union Home Secretary also claimed that the city administration’s efforts to resolve “logistical issues for procuring oxygen have not been up to the mark” at a time when other states and union territories have been making earnest and professional efforts in this regard.

Incidentally, as the Union Home Secretary wrote the letter on April 25, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today said his government would import 18 cryogenic tankers from Thailand and 21 ready-to-use oxygen plants from France.

The Chief Minister, however, maintains that the scrambling for oxygen, which was witnessed last week amid sudden surge in Covid-19 cases, has been addressed to and the situation has improved significantly in the past two days.

Get your house in order: HC rebukes Delhi Govt

The Delhi High Court came down heavily on the AAP government on Tuesday over its “failure” to check the selling of oxygen cylinders and medicines on the black market and said if the state cannot handle the situation, it will ask the central government to take over gas refiller units as it can’t let people die. pti