New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Centre to submit the action taken report based on the recommendations of the court-appointed National Task Force (NTF) on allocation of oxygen to the states and union territories amid Covid, within two weeks.
A bench comprising Justices D.Y. Chandrachud and M.R. Shah noted NTF held numerous meetings and submitted its report to the Centre. The bench said it would like the steps taken by the Centre to ensure that the recommendations are duly observed at the policy level to enhance preparedness and for the foreseeable future and the present.
The bench said it will be appropriate if these proceedings are listed together with the matter where it has taken suo motu cognisance of the Covid-related issues. It added that reports of the NTF and also the action taken report of the Centre should be made available to all the counsel, including the amicus curiae in the matter.
The bench asked senior advocates Jaideep Gupta and Meenakshi Arora, amicus in the matter, to prepare a short point-wise submission.
Citing that it has given enough time to the government to implement its orders, the bench said, “Now we want to look towards where we stand, should there be a third wave”.
The top court said the Centre should complete the exercise of preparing the action taken report and placing it on record within two weeks.
The top court was hearing the plea by the Centre challenging a contempt notice issued by the Delhi High Court over non-supply of 700 MT oxygen to Delhi.
The top court on May 5 had stayed the contempt proceedings before the high court. The NTF, on June 22, had recommended the country should have strategic reserves of the lifesaving gas for 2-3 weeks of consumption, similar to the arrangements made for petroleum products.
(IANS)
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