"Delhi Government did not arrange means to supply, distribute oxygen allocated": Centre informs Delhi High Court During Oxygen Shortage Hearing Of Hospital
Centre informed Delhi High Court on Saturday that officers of Delhi Government are not arranging means to supply or distribute the oxygen which has been allocated to them.
"All other States & UT's are arranging means to supply, distribute the oxygen allocated to them but Officers of Delhi Govt are not doing anything in this regard. Request the officials to work on the same," MHA, Additional secretary, informed a bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi & Rekha Palli during the hearing in a plea by Maharaja Agarsen Hospital citing shortage of oxygen.
At this juncture, Senior Advocate Rahul Mehra sought time to contact the Chief Secretary, GNCTD to assist the Court. It was later informed that he is currently indisposed on account of being busy at a meeting.
Another petitioner, Sachin Datta (Jaipur Golden Hospital) informed the Court that the Hospitals have not been able to contact the nodal officers of GNCTD for supply of oxygen.
Some officers from the Delhi Government joined the hearing. Mehra for Delhi Government informed Court that the local officers were not supplying the tankers.
"Tankers are being imported. If tankers were available, our country would not import the same," he said.
To this, Justice Sanghi replied,
"Your purpose of officer here was to answer some questions. Is he here? What endeavour have you made to arrange for the tankers?"
The officer for Delhi Government replied, "We are trying to contact them".
The bench pulled up the officer for this conduct and took note of this casual attitude.
Justice Palli: Why are you taking it casually? How will you arrange for allocation of oxygen from Raurkela, Kalinganagar & Durgapur.
"For me every minute is crucial. The hospital only has 45 minutes of oxygen left," the hospital pleaded at this juncture.
The hearing is currently underway with the Centre informing the bench about the allocations of oxygen for Delhi.