Raipur, 17 May 2021. Chief Minister Mr. Bhupesh Baghel held a telephonic discussion with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 16 May yesterday and the video conferencing taken by the Prime Minister with the Chief Ministers in view of improvement in Corona condition and adequate availability of oxygen to the steel industries by 20%. It was requested to allow the use of oxygen. Mr. Modi assured to consider it. After this, in a discussion with Mr. Baghel over phone, Union Minister for Industries and Commerce, Shri Piyush Goyal had asked to prepare and send a proposal in this regard.
On which the Chief Minister Shri Bhupesh Baghel has written a letter to Union Minister Shri Goyal today requesting to allow steel industries to use 20 percent quantity of oxygen produced in Chhattisgarh.
Chief Minister Mr. Baghel has written in a letter to Union Minister Shri Piyush Goyal that the total daily oxygen production capacity of various units of Chhattisgarh State is 462 MT. Under normal circumstances, oxygen is supplied to the steel makers of the state by the oxygen manufacturers.
Due to this rising outbreak of Corona epidemic, the central government had banned the industrial use of oxygen produced to ensure oxygen supply in the country. It was ensured 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 has mentioned that the situation of Corona epidemic is constantly improving. 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 take the trouble of allowing the use of 20 percent quantity (92 MT) produced in the state. 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.
