Centre moves Supreme Court against Karnataka High Court order on oxygen supply
Centre moves Supreme Court against Karnataka High Court order on oxygen supply
Bengaluru: In a shocking twist, the Centre on Thursday moved the Supreme Court against the Karnataka High Court order asking it to increase the daily liquid medical oxygen (LMO) allocation for the State to 1,200 MT from the present 965 MT. The Centre has also sought a stay on the High Court order.
A bench headed by Justice D Y Chandrachud was told by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta that the State was being supplied 965 MT LMO presently and the order needed to be stayed urgently.
The bench also comprising Justice M R Shah, in its hearing, said it will have to look at the paper book before issuing any order regarding the issue. Meanwhile, the opposition Congress was quick to respond as it expressed "shock" over the Centre moving the apex court against the order of the Karnataka High Court.
Reacting to the incident, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president D .K Shivakumar said he was shocked to see the Centre moving the SC challenging the Karnataka HC order to supply 1200 MT of oxygen to the State. Projected demand is 1471 MT but central allocation is only 865 MT.
Will CM BS Yediyurappa and BJP MPs remain mute spectators when people are dying of Oxygen shortage?"
In the month of April, Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa had requested the Centre to provide 1,500 metric tons of oxygen daily to the State amid a surge in Covid cases.
A day after Chief Minister's request, Janata Dal (Secular) leader H D Kumaraswamy had also written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressing concern over a "deepening crisis in Karnataka" with regard to shortage of oxygen.
He also sought immediate intervention of the Centre to prevent brewing tragedy. "If the State administration does not act quickly, and if it is not ably supported by the Centre then my premonition is that a greater tragedy is likely to unfold.
The people of the State would be grateful to you for any direction the federal government may issue to address the oxygen shortage forthwith," Kumarswamy's letter explained.