In its efforts to make face masks and hand sanitisers available to the masses, the Ministry of Food and Consumer Affairs on Thursday capped the price of 3-ply face masks made of melt blown non-woven fabric at Rs 16 per piece till June 30 and also allowed distilleries and sugar mills to manufacture hand sanitisers in bulk.
Licences have also been issued to 45 distilleries in an order to maintain demand and supply balance of sanitisers due to skyrocketing demand amid coronavirus.
Consumer Affairs Secretary Pawan Agarwal on Thursday said the retail price of 2-ply and 3-ply surgical face masks remain the same. The rates will remain in force up to June 30. The Consumer Affairs Ministry had notified MRP for 2 ply and 3 ply ‘’surgical’’ face masks at Rs 8 and Rs 10 per piece, respectively on March 21. But for 3 ply melt blown face masks, it had said MRP would at the rate that prevailed as on February 12.
“We had a meeting with face mask manufacturers. They were facing some challenges because of lack of clarity on MRP front. So, we have decided to fix the MRP of 3 ply melt blown face masks at Rs 16 per piece,” Agarwal added.
On allowing distilleries and sugar mills to manufacture hand sanitisers in bulk, Agarwal said the department had received 100 applications, of which we have given licence to 45 distilleries so far apart from 564 other manufacturers. “These companies will manufacture hand sanitisers in bulk. More than 55 distilleries are likely to be given permission in one or two days and many more are being motivated to produce hand sanitisers,” he said.
These manufacturers have also been asked to work in three shifts to maximize their output.
The Ministry has also asked the State Governments to remove any bottlenecks and ensure continuous availability in supply of raw materials — Ethyl Alcohol, ENA (extra neutral alcohol) and ethanol to manufacturers of hand sanitizers.
The permission has been given under the Drug Prices Control Order. Most of them have commenced production and others are likely to commence production in a week’s time,” Agarwal added.
State Governments have also been asked to give permission to distilleries on a priority basis to produce sanitizer in bulk, which can then be packed and bottled.
Leading hand sanitizer brands such as Lifebuoy, Savlon, Godrej Protekt and Dettol have been trying to ensure a steady supply of sanitizers, the supply has allegedly faltered in many places. High demand for hand sanitizers since the beginning of March had led to hoarding which caused a spike in prices and also sale of spurious products.
The sanitizer is divided into two categories: first is the over the counter (OTC) sanitizers in which the FMCG brands used to dominate till outbreak of corona. However, post-corona, the local illegal and unregulated production of OTC hand sanitizers have mushroomed in the country. The second category is of hospitals, which is catered to by a different set of MNCs and Indian companies and which is also facing shortages of raw materials due to jump in demand.
Earlier, the Government has brought these raw materials under the Essential Commodities Act and fixed price of ethanol used in hand sanitizer to not exceed what it was on March 5.
“Sanitizer industry operating in the State should be encouraged to operate their units in all the three shifts. Indian Sugar Mills Association and All India Distilleries Association have assured that Ethyl Alcohol, ENA (extra neutral alcohol) and ethanol will be made available to the sanitizer industry at reasonable price. The distillery units can also manufacture sanitizers in bulk,” the notification said.
The Government had also put a price ceiling to ensure that hand sanitizers are made available to the general public and hospitals at rational rates; the maximum retail price of hand sanitizers was fixed at Rs 100 for 200 ml bottle, consumer affairs minister Ram Vilas Paswan had said in a tweet last week.