Centre informs Delhi HC 'no oxygen concentrators pending in Customs' after being pulled up

After Delhi HC pulled up the Centre on 3000 oxygen concentrators stuck in Customs, the Central Board of Indirect Taxes & Customs on Monday informed the court that no such consignment is pending with Custom Authorities. The Central department stated that it has verified with its field officers who have confirmed that no such consignment is in customs. Currently, India is grappling with acute oxygen supply with Delhi being hit the worst - several hospitals have moved the High Court seeking oxygen supply. 

Centre tells HC: 'No consignment in customs'

Delhi HC pulls up Centre

Earlier in the day, the Delhi HC bench comprising of justices Vipin Sanghi and Rekha Palli pulled up the Centre over Max Hospital's claim that over 3000 oxygen concentrators were pending at customs. The Centre responded that the number of pending concentrators was 'dynamic' and that there was an order saying the process has to be completed within 3 hours. The court stated, "We shouldn't lose lives because of this".

The HC also sought the Centre's action on Supreme Court's order on setting up buffer stocks for oxygen, to which Centre stated that 'it will be honoured to the best of our ability'. It has questioned the Centre over Delhi govt's plea seeking Army's support for supply management of oxygen. The Centre said that it will take a day or two to fructify, but it was being monitored by the Defence Minister himself. Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia has written to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh seeking Army's help to set up, operationalise and run some Covid Health Facilities with about 10,000 oxygenated Non-ICU beds and 1000 ICU beds.

On Sunday, the SC ordered that the Central Government shall, in collaboration with the States, prepare a buffer stock of oxygen for emergency purposes and decentralize the location of the emergency stocks. The emergency stocks shall be created within the next four days and are to be replenished on a day-to-day basis, in addition to the existing allocation of oxygen supply to the States. In its order, the SC has explicitly stated that the deficit in the supply of oxygen to the Delhi government has to be rectified within 2 days from the date of the hearing, that is, on or before midnight of May 3, 2021.