Mysore/Mysuru: A day after the tragic incident at  Chamarajanagar, where 24 Covid patients allegedly died in a duration of 24 hours at the District Hospital for want of Medical Oxygen, K.R. Nagar JD(S) MLA S.R. Mahesh has blamed lack of co-ordination between the Deputy Commissioners of Chamarajanagar and Mysuru districts.

Addressing a press meet at his office here this morning, Mahesh maintained that the Government had entered into a contract with oxygen manufacturers and suppliers for supplying Medical Oxygen cylinders to all districts in accordance with the stipulated quota, according to which Chamarajanagar district is assigned to get about 300 cylinders a day. “I have information that Mysuru district administration at a meeting held in city recently, had exerted pressure on Controller of Drugs at Bengaluru to distribute  only 150 cylinders to Chamarajanagar and 100 cylinders to Mandya and divert the rest to Mysuru. Although the vehicle that transports oxygen cylinders to Chamarajanagar stood waiting at Southern Gas Company in Mysuru for long hours, the gas manufacturer had dispatched only 100 cylinders and that too in batches when Chamarajanagar desperately needed more number of cylinders,” he claimed.

Accusing the Mysuru District Administration of pressurising the Drugs Controller for cutting short oxygen supplies to Chamrajanagar, the MLA demanded a thorough probe into the callous attitude of the authorities and a complete audit of all oxygen supplies.

Contending that oxygen manufacturer had delivered only 691 cylinders in six days to Chamarajanagar district last week, Mahesh wondered as to where the remaining cylinders (numbering more than a thousand) that the district should have got as per its quota (300-350 cylinders a day) have gone.

Noting that the Government has appointed a Senior IAS Officer to submit a report on Chamarajanagar tragedy, the MLA urged the Government to sack the Deputy Commissioners of Mysuru and Chamarajanagar districts and also the State Drugs Controller for the conduct of a fair probe. 

Warning the Government against any moves to cover up the Chamarajanagar tragedy, he demanded that the authorities must maintain transparency in the probe and present true facts about the incident in public domain.

Mahesh also wanted the Government to appoint a senior bureaucrat as the exclusive Nodal Officer for bed allocation and COVID management in Mysuru district.

City JD(S) President K.T. Cheluvegowda, Party leaders Dwarakish, K.V. Mallesh, Shailendra and others were present.