Amid the coronavirus scare in the state, the Maharashtra government has come down hard on pharmacies that have been selling fake (or used) masks and hand sanitisers. Under the drive by the state government, FDA seized goods worth ₹21 lakh.
State Minister for Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) Rajendra Shingne carried out multiple raids across the city on Wednesday along with his staff. The aim of the raid was to identify pharmacies and medical shops hoarding sanitisers or selling them at more than the maximum retail price (MRP).
According to a senior official, FDA had taken action at 21 locations across Maharashtra in the span of the last seven days. The authority found out people who had been bringing poor quality hand sanitisers from Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh and selling them in Mumbai and Pune.
The hand sanitizer and face masks have been put under the Essential Commodities Act (ECA) up to June 30, 2020, to ensure proper availability of the items amid the COVID-19 outbreak. Therefore, hoarding of hand sanitizer and face masks is prohibited as the items have been notified under the Essential Commodities Act.
The officials stated that they received information about widespread hoarding taking place at some locations and based on which, they carried out searches on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Shingne along with his team made surprise visits at two pharmacies in Colaba. They also inspected shops outside Bombay Hospital and the Medical Research Centre in Marine Lines. The Minister warned shopkeepers against hoarding sanitisers and masks and informed them that the number of complaints about illegal sale of the items has been growing.
The final inspection was conducted at Worli, where he went through the billing records at two shops. Mr. Shingne told The Hindu,
“We have recovered fake masks and sanitisers from locations in Pune and Mumbai. I will continue to inspect these locations and ensure that in times of crisis, citizens are able to access essential commodities.”
Reportedly, the surgical masks are being sold at up to 20 times above the MRP in cities which are affected the most by the novel coronavirus, Mumbai and Pune.
Earlier, the FDA had raided a factory that was making hand sanitisers in Vakola area of Mumbai. The sanitizers in question didn’t have proper anti-bacterial properties which make the solution disinfectant. As a result, the FDA has recovered a huge cache of fake sanitizers and the authorities are taking action against them.
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