Don’t divert oxygen to Andhra Pradesh, Telangana when we need it: CM Palaniswami tells PM

NEW DELHI:  Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighting the shortage of medical oxygen in Tamil Nadu, and asserting that there is no justification for diverting 80 KL of oxygen to Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. “There is a growing need for medical oxygen in Tamil Nadu due to the high level of oxygen-dependent active (Covid) cases...

The State is taking all efforts to reduce the number of positive cases, but considering the current trend, the State would require 450 MTs shortly, which would be more than our production capacity of 400 MTs,” the Chief Minister wrote. He added that while the maximum number of active cases last year was about 58,000, it has already crossed a lakh this year.

This has increased the demand for oxygen, and efforts are on to provide adequate and uninterrupted supply, he stated. Last week, Tamil Nadu Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan had expressed concern over the Centre diverting oxygen. “We are not against giving oxygen to any other States, but our objection is compulsory diversion,” he had pointed out. 

‘TN has never imposed any restrictions & is ready to support other States’

In his letter to Modi, Palaniswami further said, “In the latest National Medical Oxygen allotment plan, the allocation for Tamil Nadu was fixed at 220 MTs, and based on this wrong allotment, 80 MTs of liquid oxygen has been diverted from the manufacturing facilities at Sriperumpudur, Tamil Nadu, to Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.” “This is based on the wrong position that the existing oxygen consumption in Tamil Nadu is lower than the manufacturing capacity.

On this issue, I wish to bring to your kind notice that as per Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisations (PESO) data, the consumption of oxygen in Tamil Nadu has already reached 310 MTs as against the inadequate allotment made to the State of only 220 MTs,” he added. Condemning the diversion of oxygen, he said, “The diversion from the Sriperumbudur plant, which supplies oxygen to Chennai city, which has the second-biggest caseload in South India, seems to have no justification.

This needs to be corrected immediately. While Tamil Nadu has never imposed any restrictions so far and is always ready to support other States, such mandatory diversion of liquid oxygen from the needs of our State can lead to a major crisis in Chennai and other districts.” He further requested Modi to immediately stop the diversion of 80KL oxygen from the Sriperunpudur plant

All-party meeting on reopening Sterlite today

Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami will hold an all-party meeting at the Secretariat on Monday to discuss, among other things, the reopening of the Sterlite Copper plant to produce oxygen