 "Centre allows supply of oxygen to certain industries on 'temporary basis'")
The Central government on Monday allowed the supply of oxygen to certain industries on 'temporary basis subject to ensuring adequate supply of medical oxygen to hospitals and other medical purposes'.
Union Home Ministry had received a request from oxygen manufacturing industries to the allow supply of oxygen to industries other than the industries exempted by it.
According to the Ministry, the industries that made the requests were: Continuous process industries/ plants such as furnaces, refineries, steel, aluminum, copper processing plants etc. which require continuous power supply, infrastructucture projects and plants, Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) exporters of manufacturing sector requiring oxygen for production, and Food Processing Units.
"In this regard, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) may allow usage of liquid oxygen to the above-mentioned industries/ projects/ units on temporary basis subject to ensuring adequate supply of liquid medical oxygen to hospitals and other medical purposes as per demands of States/ UTs as well as adequate supply to industries/ sectors such as ampules and vials, pharmaceuticals, manufacturing of oxygen cylinders and PSA plants, neutral glass tubing and defence forces," read an official statement by the MHA.