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Delhi seeks LG's nod to form panel to probe Covid deaths due to oxygen shortage
Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia said that he has also written to Union home minister Amit Shah, "urging him to direct LG not to stop the formation of the committee."
Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia on Monday said that the government has again sent a file to lieutenant governor Anil Baijal, seeking his approval to form a high-level committee to probe how many patients died due to oxygen shortage in the second wave of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) during April-May.
Sisodia said, "We've sent a file to LG for his approval to set up a high-level committee for a probe to find out how many Ccovid-19 patients died due to oxygen shortage. I've written to Union home minister Amit Shah, urging him to direct LG not to stop the formation of the committee."
The Deputy chief minister said, "Being a responsible government, we should not hide deaths due to shortage of medical oxygen. If there is a death due to oxygen scarcity, then we have to implement a number of reforms, change our system so that such incidents do not happen again in the future. If we cover or hide deaths due to oxygen shortage then it is not good governance."
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He added, "I have also written to Union home minister Amit Shah and urged him to direct LG not to stop the formation of the committee. I have also briefed him how Delhi struggled for medical oxygen during the second wave of Covid-19 in April-May."
In June, the Delhi government had formed a four-member expert committee to look into deaths due to the shortage of oxygen during the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.
According to Sisodia, it did not receive approval from the central government for the formation of the committee.
Therefore, he urged the central government not to stop the formation of the committee this time.
