COVID-19 : Case filed against Harsh Vardhan in Bihar for not stopping black marketing of essential items

A case has been filed against Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan in Muzaffarpur on Tuesday for allegedly not making efforts to stop black marketing of the essential items required to control the spread of coronavirus.

Social activist Tamanna Hashmi moved district court after which Muzaffarpur police filed case under Sections 406,505 and 420 of the Indian Penal Code.

The hearing in the case is scheduled for March 30.

Notably, in the wake of coronavirus outbreak the Central government on March 13 had declared face masks and hand sanitisers as essential commodities for the next 100 days as a step to increase the supply chain and stop the black marketing of the products.

National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority has been directed to regulate the availability and prices of the required items.

"In pursuance of directions conveyed by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare vide order dated 13.03.2020 under clause (I) of sub-section (2) of section 10 of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority has been mandated to regulate the availability and prices of the Surgical and protective masks, Hand sanitizers and Gloves," the pharmaceuticals department under the Chemicals and Fertilisers Ministry had stated in the press note.

A total of 147 positive cases of coronavirus have been reported in India so far, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said on Wednesday.

Globally, the virus has infected nearly 185,000 people and killed more than 7500, as per the latest data available on the World Health Organisation website.