The Delhi High Court asked Centre to ensure obstruction-free transport of oxygen to Delhi and warned the concerned authorities of criminal action in case of non-compliance of directions.
The bench stated that in case any obstruction arises during the supply of oxygen, the erring authorities would be held liable for their actions.
The bench was hearing petitions filed by three hospitals who claimed that they were in urgent need of oxygen supply and that they were left with only few hours of oxygen supply.
These petitions were filed after the Centre’s assurance of raising the allocation of oxygen for Delhi from 370 MT to 480 MT. The counsel representing Delhi government submitted that though allocation has been raised by the Centre, they’ve received only 80-100 MT of oxygen.
The bench had been informed that the shortage of oxygen occurred due to obstruction of oxygen tankers which were being sent from Panipat, Air Liquidae, etc. It had also been brought to the notice of bench that an order had been passed under the Disaster Management Act, regarding uninterrupted supply of medical oxygen across the country.
The Centre’s order provided that any authority falling under the local administration shall be held personally liable if found that the order is not being implemented. The order passed by Delhi HC stated that the concerned authorities are bound by the order passed under the Act and any sort of non-compliance would invite criminal action.
This order extends to the DMs and SSPs who have been in-charge of ensuring smooth movement of medical oxygen tankers without any hindrance.
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