Sent back file on panel to L-G, tell him to agree: Dy CM to HM
New Delhi: The Delhi government has resent its proposal to L-G Anil Baijal's office, seeking approval for constituting a high-level inquiry committee to investigate the deaths due to the lack of oxygen during thebrutal second wave of the pandemic earlier this year.
Meanwhile, Deputy CM Manish Sisodia has also written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah requesting him to direct the L-G to approve the inquiry committee constituted by the State government.
The AAP-led government had constituted a committee comprising medical experts to ascertain where, when and how many lives were lost to oxygen shortage but the L-G had stopped the formation of the committee, according to official sources."Saying that no death occurred due to lack of oxygen without investigation is like rubbing salt on the wounds of mourning victims," the Minister said.
As a responsible and sensitive government, the Delhi government wants to investigate deaths due to lack of oxygen which is essential to reach to the root cause of the problem, the Deputy CM said while addressing the matter in a digital press conference. He pointed out that the deaths due to lack of oxygen has raised questions on the entire system and has sought an investigation of the matter.
The Delhi government will also disburse ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh to each victim's family, which was rejected by the LG, the government said in a statement. "The courts and the Central Government have asked states for the number of deaths due to lack of oxygen. A high-level committee of medical experts will be constituted by the Delhi government to probe into the deaths due to lack of oxygen in Delhi," Sisodia said.
The official also said that the Union government has issued a statement that it had asked the states to share the data by August 13 but the Delhi government did not receive any communication on the matter.
"As a responsible and sensitive government, we should not run away from it but should fix the system and carry out reforms instead of hiding the information. Hiding information is not the hallmark of a good governance model," the Minister said.
Sisodia in the letter appealed to Shah that the Central government should send instructions to the LG of Delhi to approve the inquiry committee and pass the file so that the committee can complete its investigation and send its report to the Central Government and the court so that, correct data can be disclosed in the public domain and can be used for further improvement in governance.
