Centre moves SC over Karnataka HC's order on oxygen supply
The Centre on Thursday moved the Supreme Court against a Karnataka High Court order seeking an increase in the daily supply of liquid medical oxygen (LMO) to the state to 1,200 metric tonnes (MT) from the present 965 MT. The HC had passed the order on Wednesday after noting that a shortage of LMO was leading to the deaths of COVID-19 patients.
Will look at paper book before issuing any order: SC
The SC bench, which also comprised Justice MR Shah, said it will have to look at the paper book before issuing any order in this regard. Justice Chandrachud told the SG to mention the matter before Chief Justice of India (CJI) Justice NV Ramana. The Centre's decision to move the court comes at a time when Karnataka is facing an acute shortage of oxygen.
SG appeals for urgent stay on Karnataka HC's order
The Centre has argued that the Karnataka HC's directions could lead to the mismanagement of resources and "create a chaotic environment in an already overburdened system." It appealed for an urgent stay on the HC order. The Centre also stated that it had not been granted enough time by the HC for it to justify the oxygen amount allocated to Karnataka, reported Republic TV.
Karnataka HC issued order in aftermath of Chamarajanagar tragedy
The Karnataka HC's order seeking an enhancement in the state's oxygen supply on May 5 came after the Chamarajanagar tragedy on May 3, when 24 COVID-19 patients, who were on ventilators, died due to inadequate supply of oxygen at the government medical college hospital. Two patients in Bengaluru and 12 COVID-19 patients in Kalaburagi have also died due to oxygen shortage this week.
State Congress President expresses shock over Centre's plea
The Opposition in the state was quick to express "shock" over the central government's decision to move the apex court. President of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee, DK Shivakumar claimed that the projected demand in Karnataka is 1,471 MT, when the Centre's allocation is only 865 MT. "Will CM @BSYBJP & BJP MPs remain mute spectators when people are dying of Oxygen shortage?" he tweeted.
Karnataka's oxygen should remain in state, says former CM
Janata Dal (Secular) leader writes to Modi over 'deepening crisis'
In a letter written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday, Janata Dal (Secular) (JDS) leader HD Kumaraswamy expressed concern over a "deepening crisis in Karnataka" regarding the shortage of oxygen supply. He warned that a greater tragedy is likely to unfold in Karnataka if the state administration does not act briskly and does not receive support from the Union government.
Karnataka reported largest single-day spike on Wednesday
Since the inception of the pandemic, Karnataka reported the largest single-day spike in both COVID-19 cases and fatalities on Wednesday. The total caseload touched nearly 17.5 lakh with 50,112 new cases, while 346 deaths took the fatalities toll to 16,884. Active cases stood at 4,87,288. Another 26,841 people were discharged taking the cumulative discharges to 12,36,854, according to the state's health bulletin.
