Cancel diversion of 80KL oxygen from Sriperumbudur to A.P. & Telangana, CM Palaniswami writes to PM Modi

The Chief Minister reasoned that there was a need to ensure adequate oxygen availability in Tamil Nadu due to the active caseload crossing over a lakh.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking immediate cancellation of the diversion of 80 KL of liquid oxygen from Sriperumbudur to Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. He reasoned that there was a need to ensure adequate oxygen availability in the State due to the active caseload crossing over a lakh. In his letter, Mr. Palaniswami said that in the latest National Medical Oxygen allotment, the oxygen allocation for Tamil Nadu has been fixed at 220 Metric Tonnes (MTs), while the State would require 450 MTs shortly, which would be more than the production capacity of 400 MTs. “Based on this wrong allotment [of 220 MTs], 80 MTs of liquid oxygen has been diverted from the manufacturing facilities located at Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu, to Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. This is based on the wrong position that the existing oxygen consumption in Tamil Nadu is lower than the manufacturing capacity,” he said.