Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 29

The state government today directed the Industries and Commerce Department to identify defunct oxygen generating units and other medical supply outlets.

Industries and Commerce Minister Sunder Sham Arora said the Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh-led state government was working to ensure uninterrupted medical supplies, especially medical oxygen and vaccines.

“I have already instructed the authorities to identify the industries that have the capacity to produce medical oxygen but don’t have the licence. The government will act swiftly and issue the licence as soon as possible. The supply of oxygen to the industries was stopped and now 98 per cent of it is going towards medical requirements,” the minister said. He stressed the need for making available adequate oxygen because of a high number of oxygen-dependent Covid-19 cases and urged the Centre to ensure adequate supply from other states. The minister asserted that the department and various industry associations were also exploring ways to increase oxygen production.

Arora said the department would help identify land and getting consent for establishing a plant, if anyone wanted. He also appealed to the industry to come forward as part of its corporate social responsibility. He urged the state-run oil firms to establish pressure swing adsorption (PSA) medical oxygen generation plants and procure cryogenic containers for transporting liquid medical oxygen to meet acute oxygen shortage in the country.

The minister further disclosed that the state authorities, including the police, had been directed to ensure free movement of vehicles carrying oxygen amid reports of some states diverting vehicles for local use even as hospitals sent out frantic a appeal for emergency supplies. Punjab has 15 air separation units with generation capacity of 60 to 65 tonnes per day.

Provide free vaccine from ESIC: Capt to Centre

Chandigarh: Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Thursday sought directives from the Centre for free vaccine from the Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) for all its registered beneficiaries in the age group of 18-45. In a letter to Union Labour Minister Santosh Kumar Gangwar, the Chief Minister said such an initiative would be a progressive step towards covering the industrial working class of the country. tns