Punjab and Haryana high court orders raids to check faulty masks, overcharging of sanitizers

CHANDIGARH: To curb overcharging of sanitizers and sale of sub-standard face masks largely used by public during the Covid-19 pandemic, the Punjab and Haryana high court has directed the states of Punjab, Haryana and UT of Chandigarh to conduct ‘raids’ on chemist shops and manufacturing units to obtain samples of hand sanitizers or hand disinfectants. The court also directed them to check the sale of sub-standard masks in shops.
The HC said wherever sanitizers manufactured after March 2020, showing a maximum retail price (MRP) above Rs 250 for 500 ml and more than Rs 100 for 200 ml, are seized proceedings as per law shall be initiated against all such manufacturers. If shops selling these products also are so selling at prices above what is stipulated in the notification of March 21, 2020, then action would be taken against them too, as per law, the HC order clarified.
“It has been seen by this court that a large number of brands of facial masks have been purchased, are of highly substandard quality, where even while tying the masks, the strings attached break off immediately, thereby making the masks unusable. Consequently, in the ‘raids’ to be conducted, boxes of masks/individual masks shall also be collected by those of the ‘raiding party,’ with the masks to be tested as regards this basic issue of breaking of strings, and if such breaking is found, or the seimasks are otherwise found to be of sub-standard quality, proceedings as per law shall be taken against all concerned,” ordered the high court.
The directions in this regard have been issued to the principal secretaries/secretaries in the departments of health, and food and supplies, of the states of Haryana, Punjab and UT Chandigarh for taking action immediately.
Justice Amol Rattan Singh of the HC passed these orders while taking suo motu notice of the fact that most companies manufacturing and selling hand sanitizers, even after March 21, 2020, are displaying MRP of such products to be far above Rs 250 for 500 ml.
The additional chief secretaries/principal secretaries/ secretaries concerned, of both the states and of the Union Territory of Chandigarh have been told to file their own affidavits along with a report on the raids conducted and the results. The matter would now come up for the next hearing on July 6.