Licences of 5 medical stores cancelled for selling sanitisers and masks at inflated rates

The licences of five medical stores here have been cancelled after they were found to be selling hand sanitisers and face masks at inflated rates in the wake of the coronavirus epidemic scare, officials said.

The drug department conducted raids on a number of retail and wholesale medical stores in the district following several complaints of black marketing of precautionary equipment to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 infection, such as masks and sanitisers, they said.

Raids were conducted under the aegis of additional city magistrate (ACM) upon the instruction of the district magistrate (DM).

DM Ajay Shanker Pandey said the ACM himself went to the medical stores and bought face masks and sanitisers when he found thatthe store owners charged exorbitant prices of these two items and refused to provide bills for the purchase.

Licences of five medical stores have been cancelled for selling precautionary items on excessive rates, Pandey said.

Stringent action would be initiated against the medical store owners found to be "looting" the people who are scared and trying to prevent spread of coronavirus, he added.