‘Allow 20% oxygen for industrial use’

Raipur, May 17: A day after requesting Prime Minister Narendra Modi to allow oxygen for industrial use in Chhattisgarh, Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel has written a letter to Union Minister for Industries and Commerce Piyush Goyal demanding that steel industries should be allowed to use 20 per cent quantity of Oxygen produced in Chhattisgarh. During the discussion with the Chief Minister over telephone on May 16 and video conferencing with chief ministers to discuss the corona situation, the prime minister had assured Mr Baghel that he will consider his request to allow use of oxygen in Chhattisgarh in 80:20 ratio.
The chief minister also held discussion over telephone with Union Minister for Industries and Commerce Piyush Goyal over the issue and was asked by the minister to prepare and send a proposal in this regard.
In the letter, the Chief Minister said that the total daily oxygen production capacity of various units of Chhattisgarh is 462 MT. Under normal circumstances, Oxygen is supplied to the steel makers of the state by the oxygen manufacturers.
But due to rising outbreak of Corona cases, the central government had banned the industrial use of oxygen produced to ensure Oxygen supply in the country. It was assured by the state government that in the time of national calamity, all the Oxygen producers of the state supplied Oxygen to many states according to their requirement and demand.As on 15 May 2021, 114.93 MT of oxygen was supplied to the corona patients of the state and 175.27 MT of Oxygen to other states. Whereas on April 28, 2021, the total requirement of oxygen of the state was 149.83 MT and the total requirement of other states was supplied by the state’s Oxygen manufacturers 340.18 MT.The Chief Minister also mentioned that Oxygen producing units are suffering due to lack of demand for Oxygen and all the steel making units of the state are closed due to lack of Oxygen, due to which millions of laborers have become unemployed. Keeping these circumstances in view, it is requested that the steel makers of the state should be allow the use of 20 per cent quantity (92 MT) produced in the state.He added that the situation of Corona is constantly improving and the availability of Oxygen is sufficient and accordingly 20 per cent oxygen can be provided to the industries, so that such units can start their activities.At any time in the future, if the demand for additional medical oxygen arises, the supply of Oxygen to the steel making units may be stopped immediately.