Panel to probe O2 deaths in Delhi: Sisodia accuses Centre of ‘fraud’

Sisodia also said that Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal rejected the Delhi government’s demand to form the panel on two occasions.

Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia said on Wednesday Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya told the Delhi government that there is no requirement to form a panel to probe the deaths caused due to the shortage of oxygen during the second wave of Covid-19 in the national capital.

People queue with empty oxygen cylinders to be replaced at Hasanpur Depot, in New Delhi during the second wave in May. (Raj K Raj / Hindustan Times)

Mandaviya told Sisodia that a Supreme Court-appointed task force is looking into the matter. Sisodia also said that Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal rejected the Delhi government’s demand to form the panel on two occasions.

“The health minister wrote to us saying that there is a Supreme Court-appointed task force to probe the matter and said there is no need for a probe panel, but the task force has the mandate to probe the demand and supply issues for the pandemic,” Sisodia was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.

Earlier on Friday, Sisodia alleged that the Centre is trying to avoid accountability of the ‘mismanagement’ which led to a large number of deaths between April and May this year, when the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic was at its peak. Sisodia highlighted that out of the 12 points for reference of the apex court-appointed panel, five are related to oxygen but none of them pertain to oxygen shortage-related deaths.

Sisodia alleged that Centre was committing a ‘fraud’. “Such a big fraud has never happened in the country. If the SC-appointed panel is probing the deaths, why did the Centre ask states to give data on oxygen-related fatalities. Centre does not want a probe into the deaths due to oxygen shortage because the truth of their negligence will come out,” the deputy chief minister alleged.

(With inputs from PTI)