An inspection was held across shops in Pune on Friday.

After the issue of poor availability and black marketing of oxygen in some states was raised in Parliament, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has written to states not to block movement or supply of oxygen as it is essential to fighting the Covid-19 pandemic.

In a letter to chief secretaries of all states, Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla has said that some states are curbing the supply of oxygen by issuing orders under Essential Commodities Act or Epidemic Diseases Act.

“It has come to the notice that some States are trying to curb the inter-State movement of oxygen supplies from manufacturing units situated in their respective States by exercising provisions under The Epidemic Disease Act 1897, The Disaster Management Act, 2005, The Essential Commodities Act or any State / UT specific Essential Services Act, The Indian Penal Code of 1860 (or any other such related Acts) and also mandating the manufacturers/ suppliers located in the state to restrict their oxygen supplies to the hospitals of the State,” Bhalla wrote.

He said medical oxygen is an essential public health commodity and any impediment in its supplies may critically impact the management of Covid-19 patients.