Delhi High Court warns of bigger disaster

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court came down heavily on the Union government over Covid-19 crisis in the country saying "people will have blood on their hands", if medicines and resources are diverted without application of mind.

"We will be doomed," a bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and Rekha Palli said with regard to non-application of mind in allocation and diversion of resources and medicines. The High Court raised questions over Centre's decision to ban the use of oxygen for industrial purposes with effect from April 22 and said "why wait till April 22 to ban use of oxygen by industries?

Why not immediately? People need oxygen now." "If nothing done to augment oxygen supply, country will head for bigger disaster; first priority has to be to save lives," the court said.

The Centre informed the Delhi High Court that in order to ensure a continuous supply of oxygen for medical purposes the use of oxygen for industrial purposes has been banned except for certain critical industries with effect from April 22.

The court also expressed displeasure over "huge wastage" of vaccines and asked the Centre to vaccinate whomsoever it can to ensure there is no wastage.

"This is a huge wastage. Give it to those who want it. Whomsoever you can vaccinate, please vaccinate. Whether 16-year-old or 60-year-old, all need vaccination. The pandemic does not discriminate," the court said.

"We hope the Centre is applying its mind based on need of each state when deciding where to send medicines and resources," it added. The court asked the Centre to act against people who are hoarding medicines and come out with some norms.

The Centre also asserted that the government is taking all the possible steps and is further committed to take any steps and will provide feasible assistance to state government as and when required.