Centre has given nod to allow use of oxygen produced in state: Karnataka Minister Jagadish Shettar

“We had a several rounds of meeting with Union Ministers Piyush Goyal, Pralhad Joshi and DV Sadananda Gowda besides several missives to them. These talks and correspondences have yielded results. They have in principle agreed to allow the state to use oxygen produced in Karnataka,” Shettar told reporters.

Hindu religious figures criticise linking Kumbh Mela with COVID-19 spread

Shettar said the Centre had been very cooperative in supplying oxygen to the state by ferrying it to the state from various parts of the country by railways and Navy.

According to him, the Centre has been requested to provide 60,000 oxygen concentrators to the state. He added that the state government has already floated tenders for purchase of 3,000 concentrators. The central government has given 800 concentrators.

The demand for oxygen has gone up following surge in COVID cases. The state on Wednesday reported 34,281 fresh infections and 468 deaths whereas there are 5,58,890 active cases. The state has demanded 1,200 tonnes of oxygen from the Centre.