States Must "Mercilessly Clamp Down" On Black Marketing Of Drugs: Centre

In an affidavit filed in the Supreme Court, the centre said it has requested the state governments to take all necessary measures to stop black marketing or hoarding of drugs as the country battles a massive surge in COVID-19 cases.

All states must ensure special teams at different levels to "mercilessly clamp down" on hoarding and black marketing of drugs during the COVID-19 pandemic and send a clear message that "trading in human miseries" will not be tolerated, the Centre has told the Supreme Court. In an affidavit filed in the court, the Centre has said the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) had communicated to all state drugs controllers (SDCs) that there should be zero tolerance to any kind of hoarding or black marketing of drugs and also to instruct their enforcement staff to keep strict vigil and take stringent action. It said the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has requested the state governments to take all necessary measures to stop black marketing or hoarding of drugs under the provisions of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, The Essential Commodities Act and other applicable rules and regulations. "The question of black-marketing is essentially dealt with sternly by use of police administration and local state administration. Law and order being a state subject all state governments must ensure special teams at state, district and taluka levels to mercilessly clamp down on any illegal hoarding or black marketing and send a clear message that trading in human miseries shall not be tolerated under any circumstances," the Centre has said in its affidavit.