By TRN Online, Kathmandu, June 13: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on Sunday virtually laid the foundation stone for installing the nation's first liquid oxygen plant in Simarhawa, Rupandehi.

Addressing the programme remotely from his official residence in Baluwatar, Prime Minister Oli said, "It is a matter of immense happiness that we have been able to establish the first-ever liquid oxygen price in the midst of a shortage of oxygens in the nation due to the second wave of the pandemic."

He said that the crisis caused by the second wave of COVID-19 had motivated the government to install the oxygen plant. "The second wave hit us hard by causing sudden crisis of oxygen and oxygen cylinders. We were compelled to procure oxygen cylinders from other nations including India at a higher price," said the Prime Minister.

Prime Minister Oli said that the government had called hospitals having more than 100 beds to compulsorily install the oxygen plant with a view to producing enough oxygen within the nation. "However, as the oxygen produced by hospitals having over 100 beds was not enough to provide treatment to the virus-infected patients during the pandemic, the government decided to operate a liquid oxygen plant," he added.

He also applauded the efforts made by industrialist Shankar Agrawal on installing the plant while the COVID-19  cases were skyrocketing in the nation.

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister further informed that the government was contemplating on providing relief to children who lost their parents to COVID-19.  

He also said that the government was ready to waive custom duties and provide necessary aids in order to make the establishment and operation of the oxygen plant successful.

Stating that concerns could be raised regarding the surplus production of oxygen post-pandemic, Prime Minister Oli said, "We can supply the surplus oxygen can be supplied to the industries and neighbouring countries."

He said that the economic loss could also be minimised to some extent if the nation would produce enough oxygen by itself.

The oxygen plant established at Simarhawa in Rupandehi can produce 60 metric tonnes of oxygen daily, which can be filled in 7,000 big cylinders.