Drug inspectors seize 16 medical shops for over-pricing masks, sanitizers

Hyderabad: The drug inspectors of Telangana Drug control administration on Saturday seized 16 medical stores as they charged excessively for masks and hand sanitizers amid coronavirus concerns in the city.

The drug inspectors went around the city to different medical stores to check the prices of the masks and hand sanitizers, the two most used things ever since the news of Telangana's first Corona positive patient broke out. The prices of masks went up by a whopping 5 times of the actual price as a mask that was earlier available for Rs 5 is now available for Rs 30.

As the fear among the people kept on growing, their precautions led the shops go out of the stock in the case of hand sanitizers.

Meanwhile, the Andhra Pradesh drug control administration raided 254 medical stores and booked a chemist for overcharging customers for face masks. They also booked Sri Maurya medical in Ongole for selling 2-ply face masks for Rs 30 against the MRP of Rs 20.

A total amount of Rs 7,000 was imposed in the form of penalty imposed on the medical stores for selling masks at high prices. The stores selling products at exorbitant rates will be facing legal consequences under section 34, 188, 406 & 420 of the Indian Penal Code, apart from the essential commodity act and Drug pricing Control Act 2013.

Speaking of the Coronavirus outbreak, a total of 32 were suspected for Coronavirus only for today, while the number of passengers screened at the airport by the health desk were 4,656.

A total of 14 people's results are awaited as of today.