SC to hear tomorrow PIL against black marketing of face masks, sanitisers

Supreme Court will hear tomorrow a public interest litigation (PIL) filed against the black marketing of face masks and sanitisers across the country amid the lockdown imposed to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

The PIL, filed by the NGO Justice for Rights Foundation (JFRF), will come up for hearing at 2 pm on Wednesday.

The petition sought the intervention of the apex court to ensure the sale of masks and sanitisers on controlled price as prescribed and have asked for free distribution of masks and essential commodities.

The plea also sought action against hoarding and black marketing of sanitisers. It sought a direction to the Central government to discharge its duty for public welfare and to ensure fair and equitable distribution of surgical/N95 masks.

It sought direction for the creation of a special task force to be formulated to look effectively into implementing the notifications of the government.

The petition said that the sale of face masks and hand sanitisers saw a great increase and with the increase in demand several chemist and medical outlets, in an attempt to defraud and profit from the present outbreak, have started affixing their own prices over the Maximum Retail Price (MRP), over which no product is allowed to be sold in India.

"The government in the wake of such overpricing and profiteering decided to issue notifications and orders declaring face masks and hand sanitisers as essential commodities and further issuing price control to the same effect," the petition said.

But, it is seen that even after the issuance of such notifications, several chemists throughout the country have not reduced the price or deterred from the practice of selling the said essential commodities at a higher price than the government-issued controlled price, the plea said.