On the preparedness to deal with a massive COVID-19 surge, Madras HC asks BJP-led central govt what it was doing for the past 14 months; Delhi HC seeks rationale behind denying AAP govt's request for increasing oxygen supply and giving Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra more than what they asked for
Family members perform last rites during mass cremation of COVID victims in Ranchi, on Thursday. Pic/PTI
India set another global record in daily COVID-19 tally on Thursday, with 3,79,257 new cases and 3,645 deaths recorded in the last 24 hours, according to the health ministry’s 8 am data. Experts believe both figures are an undercount, but it’s unclear by how much.
Several states continue to tackle the shortage of drugs, oxygen and even space for cremations. In Delhi, all 26 crematoriums are inundated with bodies and have added helping hands and are also making makeshift pyres. Still, the scenario stays grim, with families of deceased awaiting their turn to cremate.
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Amid all this, two high courts have asked the BJP-led Centre some crucial questions. The Delhi High Court asked the Centre why states, including Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, were being allocated more oxygen than they demanded while Delhi was not getting even the quantity necessary for treating COVID-19 patients. Senior advocate Rahul Mehra, representing the Delhi government, said while the city’s requirement was 700 MT per day, it was allocated 480 and 490 MT and the Centre has not increased it. The Centre has to either show some justification for this or “make amends”, the HC said, giving it one day to respond. Meanwhile, the AAP government on Thursday asked the Centre to raise the city’s daily quota of oxygen to 976 MT as thousands of beds will be ready in 10 days.
The Madras HC, which was hearing a suo motu public interest litigation petition on Thursday, asked the Centre why was it not prepared to tackle the raging second wave when it had several months on its hand, according to a report in Live Law.
“Why are we acting only in April now though we had time for one year? Despite having a lockdown for most of the last one year, see the situation of absolute despair we are in,” Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee asked Additional Solicitor General of India R Sankaranarayanan.
The CJ made the observations after ASG said the current COVID-19 wave was unexpected and told the court about the measures the Centre is taking now to deal with the situation. “All that we see here is that ‘June it will be better’. We have been relying on chance. We have to go in a planned and informed manner with expert advice,” the CJ said.
40 nations help Modi’s ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’
In June last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the COVID-19 crisis should be turned into an opportunity to create an ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ and that steps have to be taken to ensure that products imported from abroad are manufactured in the country. Ten months later, India, in the middle of an uncontrollable implosion of cases and deaths, is relying on help from abroad. Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said on Thursday 40 countries have offered help. India is looking at getting 4,000 oxygen concentrators, 550 oxygen generating plants and 10,000 O2 cylinders from abroad.
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