Kathmandu- Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has virtually laid a foundation stone of country’s first-ever liquefied oxygen plant. The plant is being set up at Simarhawa of Rupandehi district. PM Oli while laying the foundation stone from his official residence Baluwatar observed that it was an unprecedented event of happiness at a time when the country suffered crisis of oxygen in the wake of second wave of COVID-19.

“During the second wave of COVID-19, we faced huge shortage of oxygen and cylinder,” he reminded, adding that the government imported oxygen and other health essentials after huge crisis and later the government thought why not to set up oxygen plant on its own.According to him, considering the oxygen requirement in te hospitals, the government brought the policy of installing oxygen plant in hospitals having more than 100 beds. The oxygen plant in Rupandehi could produce 60 metric tonnes of oxygen daily which can refill 7,000 big oxygen cylinders.

He credited entrepreneur Shankar Agrawal who made efforts to set up liquid oxygen plant at the time when second wave of COVID-19 was in its peak. The PM also shared that the government was ready to waive custom tax to encourage establishment of as many as oxygen plants in the country.

Furthermore, he opined that the surplus oxygen produced from those plants once the pandemic is over could be exported to the neighbouring countries or could be utilized for industrial purpose.On a different note, the Head of the Government said that the government was mulling how it could take care of those children losing their parents to COVID-19.