Bill Gates’ philanthropic arm to set up O2 plants in UP

Virendra Singh Rawat

Lucknow / May 24, 2021

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Microsoft founder Bill Gates, will set up 10 oxygen plants in Uttar Pradesh, which is fast ramping up medical oxygen infrastructure to overcome the current second wave and possible third wave of Covid-19.

The 10 oxygen plants to be set up by the Foundation are among the proposed 485 new oxygen plants to be established in the public and private sectors in UP.

According to the UP government, 59 oxygen plants will be set up by the private sector under the corporate social responsibility (CSR) route, of which three units had already been installed.

As part of the state’s mission to achieve self-sufficiency in medical oxygen, the government is working on a war footing to establish 258 oxygen plants in the state sector alone.

Besides, UP has also sent proposals to the Centre for setting up 167 plants to end the state’s dependence on oxygen from other states.

More than 40 oxygen plants are being funded by the members of parliament and members of state legislature by contributing money from their local area development purse even as the State Disaster Relief Fund (SDRF) will be used to establish 25 plants.

Meanwhile, the private and government sector sugar mills in UP have planned to set up 79 oxygen plants.

At the same time, the initiatives of oxygen audit and software based tracking have curbed leakages and ensured adequate supply of oxygen across 75 districts.

While 33 oxygen plants have been set up, the work was underway on 258 plants. A total of 188 new oxygen plants are to be set up from the PM Cares Fund, of which five have been established while the work is underway on 16 others.

Earlier this month, the Yogi Adityanath government had announced a dedicated oxygen policy to attract private investment in the now critical segment. The UP Oxygen Production Promotion Policy 2021 is aimed at encouraging private companies to foray in the manufacture of medical and industrial oxygen by offering capital subsidy and stamp duty exemption.