Kejriwal Govt Inflated Delhi's Oxygen Demand By Four Times During Second Wave Peak: SC Oxygen Audit Team

The Arvind Kejriwal led Delhi government inflated the national capital's oxygen demand by over four times during the peak of the second wave, the Supreme Court's oxygen audit team has found, Times of India has reported.

"There was a gross discrepancy (about four times). The actual oxygen consumption claimed by the Delhi government (1,140MT) was about four times higher than the calculated consumption as per the formula based on bed capacity (289 MT)", the audit team has been quoted as saying.

The report adds that the Petroleum and Oxygen Safety Organisation told the audit group that Delhi had surplus medical oxygen which in-turn affected the supply to other states.

The audit group has also found that while Delhi government estimated that the oxygen consumption for 183 hospitals was 1,140 MT, the hospital's consumption records have shown that the actual consumption was only 209 MT. It adds that even using the Delhi government's own oxygen allotment formula, the projected oxygen demand would have stood at 391 MT.

During the second wave the Supreme Court had ordered the centre to supply 700 MT oxygen to Delhi until further orders. The apex court had also set up a panel to audit the supply, distribution and utilisation of oxygen in Delhi.

During a court hearing Solicitor General Tushar Mehta had argued that the estimate of 700 MT was way beyond requirement and that the actual number would be between 500 and 600 MT. He had thus demanded an audit to check possible pilferage and snags.

Following the directive to set up an oxygen audit, Delhi's Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodiya had claimed that Delhi's ten current daily liquid medical oxygen demand has come down to 582 metric tonne, resulting in surplus oxygen.