New Delhi: Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Friday said that it has written to all the States and Union Territories (UTs) to ensure adequate security to oxygen carrying vehicles and to make provisions for exclusive corridors for the transportation of life-saving gas.<\/p>\n
In a letter written to all states and UTs from MHA went a high-level review meeting chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who directed the officials to take various measures to augment the supply of oxygen for medical purposes.<\/p>\n
\u201cAccordingly, an Expert Group is optimizing and rationalizing the allocation of oxygen to various States and UTs, keeping in view the active cases and reducing the time for movement of medical oxygen,\u201d the MHA said in a statement.<\/p>\n
It further said, the MHA had issued an order on April 22, 2021, invoking the Disaster Management Act, 2005, and directed the State\/ UTS to take various measures to ensure an uninterrupted supply of medical oxygen across the country.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe MHA has today again written to all States and UTs to ensure compliance with the order and to provide adequate security to oxygen carrying vehicles and to make provisions for exclusive corridors for such transportation, treating these vehicles like ambulances,\u201d the official statement read further.<\/p>\n
It said the central government has already prohibited the supply of oxygen for industrial purposes, except those for few essential sectors through an order on April 18, 2021, which resulted in significant augmentation of the supply of medical oxygen. \u201cSteps are being taken to further reduce consumption of industrial oxygen by industries, which will augment the supply of oxygen,\u201d it added.<\/p>\n
The MHA<\/a> and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare are in regular touch with the States and UTs for promoting optimal use of oxygen and undertake periodic audits to ensure there is no wastage of oxygen and essential medicines, it said.<\/p>\n Also Read: AIIMS postpones INI-CET PG 2021 entrance exam<\/a><\/p>\n