Open Vedanta plant, people are dying: Supreme Court
Open Vedanta plant, people are dying
New Delhi/Lucknow: The Supreme Court on Friday expressed its dissatisfaction with Tamil Nadu government's stand that the Vedanta's oxygen plant cannot be reopened due to potential law and order problem.
A bench headed by Chief Justice S.A. Bobde said: "When people are dying, Tamil Nadu cannot say it cannot open because of law-and-order issue. It is not about Vedanta or any other company. State government can't make such an argument."
The bench also comprising Justices L. Nageswara Rao and S. Ravindra said if Vedanta cannot be allowed to run the plant, then the Tamil Nadu government should take over it for oxygen production amid the COVID-19 crisis.
The United States has advised its citizens to avoid travelling to India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and the Maldives due to the sudden surge in COVID-19 cases in the region.
"Do not travel to India due to COVID-19, crime, and terrorism," the State Department said in its latest travel advisory on India, days after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a similar warning for India.
Amid reports of shortage of oxygen in the hospitals during the second wave of COVID-19 across the country, the Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS) has decided to import oxygen generation plants and containers from Germany to cater to the shortage.
The Defence Ministry informed on Friday that 23 mobile oxygen generation plants are being airlifted from Germany. These will be deployed in AFMS hospitals catering to COVID patients. These oxygen-generating plants are expected within a week, the ministry said.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi slammed the central government. In a tweet, he wrote, "Corona can cause a fall in oxygen level but it's #OxygenShortage & lack of ICU beds which is causing many deaths. GOI, this is on you." The Congress has been attacking the government over its management of the Covod-19 situation in the country. Uttar Pradesh BJP MLA Ramesh Chandra Diwakar succumbed to Covid-19 in Meerut on Friday. He was 56.
Diwakar, who represented the Aurraiya Assembly seat, was admitted to a hospital in Meerut four days ago and his condition was stated to be serious for the last two days.