Hoarding and black-marketing during Covid-19 pandemic: an analysis of various statutory provisions to curb the problem

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has taken up the whole world. The developed countries even cannot fight it due to non-availability of vaccination for virus. In the county of 1.38 billion people, this new virus has created a havoc, which has resulted in the sudden scarcity of items which are essential for the controlling of the virus. The problem can be understood in two-fold: Black Marketing & Hoarding. Black marketing is the illegal trade of goods and services with the intention to evade the lawful requirements of such trade. Two such common tactics used are to increase the price beyond the controlled price or lower the price below the normal. Hoarding, on the other hand is habit of accumulating food or other essential items. In this paper the author tries to present a brief picture of hoarding and black marketing which took place due to COVID- 19 and simultaneously the author also tries to provide the statutory provisions as well as also discusses the Government initiatives in curbing the hoarding and black marketing.