MUMBAI: The Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court has directed the Central government to restore the oxygen supply to the Maharashtra government. The court called the Central government’s decision of reducing the oxygen supply of Maharashtra is like a bolt from blue.
The Central government had cut down the oxygen supply of Maharashtra from 110 metric tonnes (MT) to 60 MT from the Bhilai (Chhatisgarh) plant. This oxygen was provided to hospitals in Nagpur. The court said that this “has hit Maharashtra as a bolt from the blue”.
A division bench of Justices Sunil Sukre and SM Modak questioned the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare for reducing the supply from the plant and directed restoration of supply.
“In this situation of emergency, respondent no. 3 (CDSCO) should have increased the supply of oxygen to 200-300 MT more. Unfortunately, things have gone in a reverse manner. Considering the dire need, we restore 110 MT supply of O2 from the Bhilai plant to Maharashtra,” said the court.
The court also passed several other directions while hearing suo motu a PIL on the adequate supply of Remdesivir and what is considered a lifeline of Covid patients oxygen supply.
After expressing anguish over the non-compliance of its order, the Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court ensured Maharashtra’s Vidarbha region receives its share (12,404 vials) of Remdesivir injection and the state its share of oxygen.