West Bengal: Cap on stocking masks, sanitizers

TNN | Updated: Apr 5, 2020, 11:12 IST

Representative image

KOLKATA: The health and family welfare department has issued a notification so that retailers, stockists and distributors stop hoarding masks and sanitizers. The department has fixed an upper ceiling for retailers, stockists and distributors so they cannot stock up on material, leading to shortage of supply in the market.
According to the notification, in case of two-ply and three-ply masks, retailers can't stock more than 200 of each and can't keep more than 100 N-95 masks at a time. In case of sanitizers, retailers can't store more than five litres in different measurements. The department has allowed stockists and distributors to stock 3,000 each of two-ply and three-ply masks and 1,000 N-95 masks. The stockists and distributors are also allowed to store 100 litres of sanitizers in different measurements.
According to officials, these items have been included on the list of essential goods and the government is trying to stop them being hoarded and then sold at a high price during crisis. "This directive should be followed till June 30 and any violation will be strictly dealt with," the officer added.