Government permits distilleries, sugar mills to manufacture hand sanitizers

Union Consumer Affairs Ministry on Thursday asked distilleries and sugar mills to maximize manufacture of hand sanitizers. The Ministry said, one hundred distilleries and more than 500 manufacturers have been permitted to produce hand sanitizers. Licences have been issued to 45 distillers and more 55 are likely to be permitted in the next few days. Most of them have commenced production and others are likely to commence production in a week.

The ministry also said that the central and state governments are taking all steps to ensure the supply of essential items during the lockdown to combat the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19). To prevent the spread of Coronavirus, hand sanitizers are used by the public, health workers and hospitals.

The Ministry said the demand of sanitizers is increasing day by day. To maintain demand and supply balance, State Government authorities including Excise Commissioners, Cane Commissioners, Drug Controllers as well as District Collectors of various states have been advised to remove any bottlenecks in the supply of ethanol to manufacturers of hand sanitizers. It has asked to give permissions or licenses to the applicants including distilleries who intend to manufacture hand sanitizers. These manufacturers have also been asked to work in three shifts to maximize their output.

To ensure that hand sanitizers are made available to the general public and hospitals at a reasonable price, the government has also fixed the Maximum Retail Price of sanitizers. The retail prices of hand sanitizers shall not be more than 100 rupees per bottle of 200 millilitres.