No check on prices of hand sanitizers, masks

BOX (Not in body)

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No offender punished to date

An offender under the Essential Commodities Act can be punished with an imprisonment of up to seven years or fine or both. Under the Prevention of Blackmarketing and Maintenance of Supplies of Essential Commodities Act, one can be detained for a maximum of six months. However, not even a single offender has been booked or punished to date.

Ravinder Sood

Palampur, July 4

The Union Government has declared face masks and hand sanitizers as essential commodities with an intention to boost its supply and prevent hoarding of these items in its fight against Covid-19.

Masks (2 ply, 3 ply surgical masks and N95 masks) and hand sanitizers have been brought under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955, empowering states to regulate production, distribution and prices of these items and to crack down on hoarding and black marketing. However, there is no check on their prices, due to which these are selling at exorbitant rates.

In March, the Centre had also invoked the Disaster Management Act to ensure price regulation and availability of surgical and protective masks, hand sanitizers and gloves. These items are in high demand and are being sold at very high rates in the absence any check from the state government. To date, not even a single offender has been booked or punished.

The notifications by the Centre were conveyed to states on March 14, empowering the government and states/UTs to regulate production, quality and distribution of masks and hand sanitizers for smooth sale and availability of these items at reasonable prices.

It also empowered the authorities to carry out operations against those involved in over-pricing and black marketing of these items. No action has been taken in Kangra district. Most of the retailers have been selling these goods at double the price with hundred per cent margin of profit.

“The Centre has also issued an advisory under the Legal Metrology Act. States can now notify the central order in their official gazette and issue their own orders under the EC Act, depending on the situation,” asserted KB Ralhan, member of NGO People’s Voice.

Palampur SDM, when contacted by the media, said the matter had been brought to his notice recently and necessary action would be taken against the offenders.