Oxygen supply

Appearing on behalf of Vedanta Limited, Senior Advocate Harish Salve submitted that it will only run the oxygen plant to meet the national scarcity of oxygen during the COVID-19 crisis.

The allegations were made before the Division Bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and Rekha Palli, by Senior Advocate Rajiv Nayar, speaing for Inox Air.

The remarks came in after Senior Advocate Rahul Mehra appearing for Delhi government informed the bench that local authorities in other states are attempting to stop oxygen tankers bringing oxygen supplies for Delhi.

The Bench, headed by Chief Justice SA Bobde, cleared that there is no problem if the Tamil Nadu government takes over the plant, but it would be required to produce the oxygen that it can during these trying times when the whole country is gasping for oxygen.

In initial discussions, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta informed the Chief Justice that Delhi and some other courts have taken suo motu cognisance, but there is a person, Mr Malhotra, who made an application regarding the suo motu case.

SG Mehta informed the court that oxygen can be produced at the Vedanta plant, which was closed in Tamil Nadu. “We can reopen it to produce medical oxygen.”

Supply of oxygen for industrial purposes, except those exempted by the government, is prohibited with effect from April 22, 2021 until further orders, the order said.

Advocate Prabhsahay Kaur through the petition sought the direction to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the Government of NCT of Delhi and to its vendor INOX Air Products LTD to immediately supply 3000 cubit metres of LMO to Saroj Super Speciality Hospital.