RESTAURATEUR NAVNEET KALRA ARRESTED IN OXYGEN CASE
NEW DELHI: Navneet Kalra, the owner of Delhi’s Khan Chacha restaurant, was on Sunday arrested from a farmhouse in Gurugram in connection with the alleged black marketing and hoarding of oxygen concentrators, people familiar with the matter said.
While no senior official confirmed the development, the people cited above said Kalra is believed to have black marketed more than 7,000 concentrators that he reportedly procured from local vendors.
On May 7, a Delhi police team raided two restaurants in Delhi’s Khan Market, Khan Chacha and Town Hall, and recovered 105 oxygen concentrator devices. Before the raid, 419 oxygen concentrators were also found at Nege & Ju restaurant, also owned by Kalra, in Lodhi Colony and a godown in Chattarpur registered under the name of Matrix Cellular.
On Friday, Delhi high court rejected Kalra’s plea for interim protection from arrest. He was absconding since the raids were conducted.
NOIDA: The Noida authority on Sunday said it has started delivering the oxygen cylinders to homes of Covid patients on call.
“Many patients in Noida do not have even one family member who can pick up cylinders from the authority’s counters. Therefore, the authority released numbers on which patients can call and get a cylinder delivered,” said Ritu Maheshwari, chief executive officer of the Noida authority.
She said cylinders will be delivered within two hours. The formalities such as Aadhaar card, Covid report and copy of the doctor’s prescription will be accepted at home itself. The authority will charge ₹200 for a small cylinder with ₹2,500 refundable security, and an oxygen concentrator will be provided with a refundable security of ₹7,500.
People can call AK Jain at 9205691612, Pradeep Kumar at 9205692763, Rohit Singh at 9205691601 and Rajesh Kumar at 9582793787. The service is available from 8am to 8pm. The cylinders will have to be returned after use within one day while a concentrator can be returned in seven days.
Maheshwari also said that owners of industrial units have been asked to set up Covid help desks at the factory premises for their workers.
“The help desks are operational in 6,732 industrial units in Noida to handle Covid-related queries in small and big units. Besides, at least 1,500 beds isolation facilities are operational in around 500 industrial units in the city to treat patients,” said Ritu Maheshwari, chief executive officer of the Noida authority.
The micro, small, medium enterprise association said that several companies which had the space have developed isolation facilities with a minimum of ten beds so that workers in need can get treatment.
“The chief minister’s visit has benefited us, as all officials are now on their toes and have intensified the fight against Covid. We are following all instructions and have set up help desks for workers from Covid-19,” said Surendra Nahta, president of the association’s Noida chapter.
Many patients in Noida do not have even one family member who can pick up cylinders. Now, patients can call and get a cylinder delivered. RITU MAHESHWARI,
CEO, Noida authority