Delhi govt politicising issue of oxygen allocation: BJP

Seeking an “oxygen audit” in Delhi, Sambit Patra said: “Why do they not want oxygen audits? One of the biggest transporting companies has said they got orders for cryogenic tankers from all states, but not Delhi.”

Relatives of Covid-19 patients queue up outside an oxygen refilling centre in New Delhi (Express Photo: Praveen Khanna)

The BJP Monday took on the Delhi government for “politicising” the issue of oxygen allocation, claiming that despite being in power for seven years, the AAP-led government had failed to improve the capital’s health infrastructure.

“It is against humanity if anyone has to struggle for oxygen. When Maharashtra says their SOS calls for oxygen were responded to by the Centre within minutes, it is only Delhi complaining of step motherly treatment. Why is it so? On May 6, (Chief Minister Arvind) Kejriwal issued a letter thanking the PM that 730 MT of oxygen was given to Delhi. Shortly, (AAP MLA) Raghav Chadha said of the 976 MT allocated to Delhi, only 59% was provided. What changed in minutes?” BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said at a press conference.

To drive home his point that the Centre has been providing assistance to non-BJP ruled states, he cited the statement of BMC commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal, who told The Indian Express in an Idea Exchange that the blame for not being able to procure oxygen rests with the states and not the Union government.

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Seeking an “oxygen audit” in Delhi, he said: “Why do they not want oxygen audits? One of the biggest transporting companies has said they got orders for cryogenic tankers from all states, but not Delhi.”

“In 2019, the Delhi High Court had said it is alarming that there are only 348 ICU beds in Delhi government hospitals. A year ago, the Union government told Delhi that they could convert industrial oxygen to liquid oxygen… In the last seven years, not a single new hospital has been opened. Mohalla clinics do not even have facilities for conducting tests,” he said.

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