Supply of 'wrong' face masks: CM vows action
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, April 18 2020: Chief Minister N Biren has vowed to take up necessary action against all those people involved in procuring and supplying sub-standard face masks.

Across the world, face mask has been accepted as an essential protective gear against COVID-19 .

However, a large number of face masks which were supplied by some firms and later sent to Churachandpur were found to be of sub-standard quality, covered with fungus.

Subsequently, the face masks were seized and those provided to Chura-chandpur were replaced with new ones.

Maintaining that procuring and supplying sub-standard face masks in such critical situation is unacceptable, N Biren said that the issue would be probed very thoroughly.

He also vowed that befitting action would be initiated against all those people involved in the fraud.

The suppliers deliberately supplied sub-standard face masks as they knew that the face masks would be distributed once they reach the State given the emergency situation.

But the State Government would not remain silent to such fraudulence, Biren said.

After the face masks sent to Churachandpur were found to be of sub-standard quality, covered with fungus, a special team of the State Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Department raided the central medical store of the Medical Directorate.

Around 1000 sub-standard face masks were disco- vered during the raid.

Subsequently a case was registered.

It is said that a thorough enquiry would be conducted against five firms which supplied the face masks, some officials of the Medical Directorate and some other individuals.

On the other hand, State Health Society Mission Director Ningthoujam Geoffrey was named in the news item published on April 18 issue about supplying pollution masks in place of N-90 masks as informed by sources but it has turned out that Ningthoujam Geoffrey has nothing to do with the supply of sub-standard face masks.

As such, The Sangai Express stands corrected.

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