'Kejriwal must apologise': BJP leaders fume at AAP govt for inflating O2 needs by 4 times

After an audit team appointed by the Supreme Court has found that the Delhi Government exaggerated the oxygen requirement in the national capital by more than four times during the peak of the second wave, former cricketer and MP Gautam Gambhir and Union Minister Prakash Javadekar lambasted Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and his government. 

Gambhir tweeted:

On the other hand, Union minister Prakash Javadekar also took to Twitter and  stated in Hindi, "The Delhi governmen demanded for oxygen 4 times more than what it was needed, and the rest of the states had to bear the loss as they fell short of medical oxygen. Someone should learn from the Delhi government how to make noise."

Delhi Inflated Oxygen Need By 4 Times: SC Panel

The Supreme Court had appointed an audit team which has found on Friday that the Delhi Government exaggerated the oxygen requirement in the national capital by more than four times during the April 25-May 10 peak period of the COVID-19 second wave. Sources further informed Republic TV that this excessive supply could have affected the supply to around 12 states. The panel has also stated that the exaggerated demand of 1140 mt was more than four times the calculated consumption as per the bed formula. 

On May 5, a Justice DY Chandrachud-led bench of the top court had directed the Centre to maintain oxygen supply of 700 MT to Delhi even as Solicitor General Tushar Mehta had presented experts’ calculation of the need to be around 415 MT of Liquid Medical Oxygen. The direction had come after the Kejriwal government had alerted over the shortage of oxygen supply during the peak of the second wave of novel coronavirus infections.

Between April-May period, Delhi had faced a major shortage of oxygen, available beds, and medicines required for the treatment of COVID patients. On April 20, the national capital had reported around 28,000 new COVID-19 cases.