Check stock, price of masks: Karnataka HC

Bengaluru: As the number of COVID-19 cases is increasing day by day and after observing that both the state and Centre are not helpless when it comes to regulating the price of N-95 masks and their availability in the market, the Karnataka High Court has asked to look into the price and availability of the masks, along with that of sanitisers.

The announcement was made while hearing a batch of PILs related to Covid-19. A division bench comprising Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka and Justice Aravind Kumar stated that the court will have to take judicial note of the fact that an N-95 mask is the best weapon against the pandemic.

The court also expressed a similar view about sanitisers, and accordingly directed both governments.

The Centre had said, “While dropping N-95 masks and sanitisers from the essential commodities list based on their availability, in response to reports submitted by the states, the Union of India has taken a stand that the price of the masks will be decided by market dynamics.”

Referring to this statement by the centre, the bench stated that the victim will be the public at large if the issue of deciding mask prices is left to market dynamics, considering the number of COVID cases multiplying in the country every day, especially in Karnataka.

The bench also said that the state government has not disclosed the price paid for masks but has only mentioned that the Union of India has supplied them.