Liquor companies to supply hand sanitizers free of cost in Assam: Parimal Suklabaidya

Excise Minister’s efforts yield results

Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI: At the initiative of State Excise Minister Parimal Suklabaidya the liquor companies doing business in Assam will supply five lakh litres hand sanitizer in Assam free of cost.

The Minister, after a series of discussions with the Excise Commissioner, came on a concluding note through an innovative and major supporting step to provide hand sanitizers to the State Health and Family Welfare department by producing it in liquor manufacturing factories in the State.

Talking to The Sentinel, the Minister said, “More than 5 lakh litres of sanitizers will be supplied free of cost as part of the CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) activities by liquor companies of Assam, on request. As per the demand of the Health department, around five crore bottles of 200 ml are required which will be supplied by the excise factories of Assam on a no-profit and absolute-free-of-cost basis.”

“The State Excise department has already given permission to 11 distilleries and beverage factories of Assam to produce hand sanitizers. They’ve been asked to strictly adhere to the guidelines issued by the WHO (World Health Organization), Essential Commodities Act and Drugs & Cosmetics Act, 1940. The main objective of this innovative approach is to curb the menace of fake sanitizers and its black marketing by some evil traders of the State,” the Minister said.

Suklabaidya further said that the department has also taken steps to make available sanitizers to Manipur and Nagaland as well by its manufacturing units. “Till now 11 companies have started producing sanitizers in Assam,” he added.

The Minister has also appealed to the people of the State not to take the guidelines issued by the Government on COVID-19 lightly. “Even as the people are serious on adhering to the guidelines on COVID-19, I appeal them to be very strict in following the guidelines,” he added.

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