Assam promises 100% free power to new oxygen plants to prepare for Covid crisis

Assam reported 73 Covid-19 fatalities on Tuesday taking the death toll to 2,344, while 5,835 new cases pushed the tally to 340,858.

Published on: May 19, 2021, 16:02:17 IST

By Utpal Parashar

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The Assam government on Wednesday decided to provide 100% free power supply to new oxygen plants set up in the state to avoid a possible crisis in oxygen supply to Covid-19 patients.

Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma led cabinet has decided to provide free power to new oxygen plants in the state. (PTI Photo)

The second cabinet meeting of the new government also decided to give 100% free power supply to closed oxygen plants that wanted to resume operations and to the new units of existing plants.

“All existing oxygen plants will be given 20% free power. All these decisions would come into effect from 1st January 2021, but financial implications will be from 1st April 2021,” chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma tweeted.

Assam reported 73 Covid-19 fatalities on Tuesday taking the death toll to 2,344, while 5,835 new cases pushed the tally to 340,858, the National Health Mission (NHM) said. Currently, the state has a total of 46,393 active cases, it added. All the states in the country have been augmenting medical oxygen supplies to meet its demand to treat a record number of Covid-19 infections during the ongoing second wave of the disease.

At present Assam has a daily requirement of nearly 20 MT (metric tonne) of oxygen. The state’s production capacity is around 84.5 MT daily. Assam is giving 16 MT of oxygen daily to Meghalaya to meet the neighbouring state’s requirements.

On Wednesday, the cabinet decided that the chief executive members of the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) and the Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao autonomous district councils will be accorded the status of cabinet ministers.

It was also decided to appoint Debojit Saikia as the new advocate general of the state.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Utpal Parashar
A seasoned senior journalist, I have nearly three decades of experience across print, digital, and online platforms, covering political transitions, insurgencies, environmental issues, and development stories in India and Nepal. I am skilled in breaking news, leading editorial teams and launch of newspaper editions. I am adept at leveraging digital trends and social media to expand global reach, with a strong ethical foundation and a reputation for impactful journalism. An alumnus of Asian College of Journalism, I joined Hindustan Times in New Delhi as a trainee reporter in May 1997. Over the years, I have been posted in Dehradun, Kathmandu (Nepal) and Guwahati. Currently, as Senior Assistant Editor at Hindustan Times, I lead a team reporting on India’s northeastern states. My work involves in-depth analysis, and engaging multimedia storytelling across formats, including text, photo, video, and interactive content. I am skilled in producing timely, shareable content, leveraging digital platforms and social media to engage global audiences. Throughout my career with the Hindustan Times, I have led diverse editorial teams, designed capacity-building activities, and supported reporters in developing strong story ideas, ethical reporting practices, digital skills, and fact-checking techniques. As Senior Assistant Editor for Northeast India, I have been responsible for guiding correspondents through complex political, humanitarian, and community-level stories using multimedia formats. Earlier, as Foreign Correspondent in Nepal, I produced extensive reporting during Nepal’s democratic transition and the 2015 earthquake and its aftermath.Read More

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