Aujla writes to PM, bats for importing oxygen from Pak
Says as Lahore is much nearer to Amritsar and other border districts than Panipat, it will save crucial time
Amid acute shortage of medical oxygen due to surge in Covid cases, Amritsar member of Parliament (MP) Gurjeet Singh Aujla on Monday wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging him to import the life-saving gas from Lahore in Pakistan, especially for hospitals in the border belt.
“The government of Pakistan and Edhi Foundation have offered help to India in its fight against Covid, and it should be welcomed,” the letter reads.
“Amritsar is around 350km from Panipat (nearest oxygen plant) and just 50km from Lahore. The daily requirement of oxygen in government and private hospitals in Amritsar is around 30 MT whereas the allocated quota for Punjab is too less. Amritsar is presently receiving oxygen supplies from Panipat in truck-tankers, which is not a reliable system of uninterrupted supply,” he said.
“I urge you (PM) to consider accepting the help offered by Pakistan. Arrangements should be made for the purchase and transportation of oxygen from Pakistan via the Attari-Wagah border,” reads the letter.
The supply of imported oxygen can cater to Gurdaspur, Pathankot, Bathinda, Jalandhar, Tarn Taran and other districts of Punjab, he added.