After the Interim Oxygen Report prepared by a committee appointed by the Supreme Court said that Delhi’s Oxygen demand was four times the actual use, the Delhi govt had claimed that the Interim Report does not even exist. Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia addressed a press conference today after the interim report was reported by the media, and said that BJP leaders are attacking Arvind Kejriwal based on a ‘so-called report’ that does not exist. Sisodia had alleged that the report was prepared at the BJP office.
However, it was revealed that the Interim Report was submitted at the Supreme Court on 22nd June, and on the same day, it was also sent to the Delhi government.
Now, it can be confirmed that the Arvind Kejriwal led Delhi govt had received the report on 4th June itself. On that day, Dr. Randeep Guleria, the Director of AIIMS who heads the Sub-Committee for Delhi for Oxygen Audit, had sent the Interim Report to all other members of the sub-committee. The sub-committee consists of five members as per Supreme Court order forming a national task force on oxygen supply. Accordingly, the committee has representatives of a govt and a private hospital (AIIMS and Max), one official each from central and Delhi govt, and an official from PESO.
Bhupinder S Bhalla, the Principal Secretary (Home) of the govt of Delhi, is the member of the committee from the Delhi govt, and the AIIMS director had sent him the Interim Report along with the other members of the committee on 4th June through email. The email had said that Interim Report was prepared after incorporating inputs/ objections/ remarks/ recommendations of all the members. This means, the Delhi govt had already submitted their objections and inputs before the committee, as the Delhi govt was represented by the Principal Secretary (Home) in the committee, and the same has been incorporated in the report.
While the Delhi govt claims that the report is not valid as it does not carry the signature of the members, the email by AIIMS Delhi director confirms that the report had concurrence of all the members, including the Delhi govt representative.
The report does not have signature of the members because it is an interim report, not the final report. But the entire report is based on the minutes of several meetings held by the sub-committee with various officials, and after incorporating objections, suggestions etc from all the concerned sides. The report also includes signed minutes of the meetings, and reports by PESO, based on which the report has been prepared. Therefore, it is unlikely that the final report will be much different from the interim report.
