Masks, sanitisers sold at inflated prices in Chennai

CHENNAI:  Though the State has set a cap on the prices of masks, sanitisers and other Covid precautionary gear, many sellers still continue to inflate prices. In Chennai, a few medical shops have been pricing masks as high as Rs 250 per piece.

The price of an N95 mask was capped at Rs 22 and that of surgical masks at Rs 3 (two ply) and Rs 4 (three ply). While the price of a 200 ml bottle of hand sanitiser cannot exceed Rs 110, a PPE kit and a pair of sterile gloves cannot be charged above Rs 273 and Rs 11 respectively.

However, the rules all seemed to have been written in water when TNIE visited over 15 stores in the city. While some had masks for Rs 3 and Rs 4, they also had “variations” sold at Rs 150 and Rs 200. “As the government mandated, we have masks at Rs 22 as well.

But if you want better quality, buy the Rs 200 one,” said the owner of a medical store at Nanganallur. Some store owners even responded saying that the rule was effected only for the second wave. For others, it was the manufacturers who were pushing up the retail cost.

“We need to fix a profit margin. It is impossible to sell gloves and N95 masks at the capped prices,” said K Preetham, a medical shop owner. An official from the Drugs Control Department said they will take action if a complaint is filed against a store.