Friday, 23 April 2021 | Deepak K Upreti | New Delhi
Modi cancels poll campaign in Bengal to hold meetings on Covid, O2 manufacturing today
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday held a high-level official meeting and ordered the adequate supply of oxygen to all States. Modi cancelled his poll rallies in Bengal to remain here to attend three urgent meetings on Friday in view of an alarming Covid-19 situation in the country, aggravated by oxygen and medicine crunch across the country.
On Friday, the PM will undertake three-key meetings — a high-level Covid review meeting, a meeting with Chief Ministers of worst-affected States, and one with oxygen manufacturers.
For his part, Home Minister Amit Shah too cut short his Bengal poll campaign, cancelling two of his three meetings to return to Delhi for a Covid meeting.
The PM, during the day, was briefed on how oxygen supply to States is “steadily increasing”, according to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).
“Against the present demand from 20 States of 6,785 MT/day of Liquid Medical Oxygen, Government of India has from April 21 allocated 6,822 MT/ day to these States,” said a PMO statement.
With a flurry of meetings lined up, Modi cancelled his four poll rallies in Bengal scheduled for April 23.
In a tweet, Modi said he will not be going to poll-bound West Bengal on Friday due to high-level meetings to review the prevailing Covid-19 situation. “Tomorrow, will be chairing high-level meetings to review the prevailing Covid-19 situation. Due to that, I would not be going to West Bengal,” he said.
Instead, he is to address people of Bengal virtually on Friday evening.
India is witnessing an unprecedented surge in Covid-19 cases which is putting enormous pressure on the country’s already burdened health-care infrastructure.
Oxygen demand, according to officials, has risen by 55 to 60 per cent in the outbreak of the second wave of coronavirus pandemic.
In the meeting, the Prime Minister spoke about the need to work rapidly on multiple aspects which included “increasing production of oxygen, increasing the speed of distribution & using innovative ways to provide oxygen support to health facilities”.
Senior officials informed the Prime Minister that an elaborate exercise was being conducted in coordination with the States to identify their demand for oxygen and ensure adequate supply accordingly.
He was briefed on how oxygen supply to States is steadily increasing, according to the PMO.
Officials said in the last few days, availability of Liquid Medical Oxygen has been increased by about 3,300 MT/ day with contributions from private and public steel plants, industries, oxygen manufacturers as well as through prohibition of supply of oxygen for non-essential industries.
Officers informed the Prime Minister that they are working together with the States to operationalise the sanctioned PSA oxygen plants as soon as possible.
Modi directed the officials to ensure that oxygen supply to various States happen in a smooth, unhindered manner.
He spoke about the need to fix responsibility with the local administration in cases of obstruction.
Various measures are being undertaken to rapidly increase the availability of cyrogenic tankers through conversion of nitrogen and argon tankers, import and airlifting of tankers as well as manufacturing them, said PMO statement.
The Prime Minister stressed on the need to ensure faster transportation of oxygen to the states. It was discussed that Railways is being used for rapid and non-stop long distance transport of tankers.
First rake has reached from Mumbai to Vizag to transport 105 MT of LMO. Similarly, empty oxygen tankers are also being air-lifted to Oxygen suppliers to reduce one way journey time in oxygen supply.
The Prime Minister said the States should come down heavily on hoarding.
The meeting was attended by Cabinet Secretary, Principal Secretary to the PM, Home Secretary, Health Secretary & Officials from Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Minstry of Road Transport, Pharmaceuticals, NiTi Aayog.
On Thursday, India recorded over 3 lakh new confirmed cases, the highest single-day tally recorded anywhere in the world since the beginning of the pandemic last year.
The Prime Minister was scheduled to address four rallies in West Bengal on Friday. All preparations were done for the rallies in Murshidabad, Malda, Birbhum and Kolkata South.
BJP national president JP Nadda declared earlier this week that the party will hold small rallies in West Bengal with not more than 500 people in light of the second wave of Covid-19 infections.
Though it is not clear whether the Prime Minister would continue campaigning for the last two poll phases, part sources said in view of public sentiments further physical rallies of him in Bengal are unlikely to happen.
