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BMC has been exonerated by the Maharashtra Lokayukta of any irregularities or lack of openness in the alleged Remdesivir scandal in 2020–2021. At the same time, Justice VM Kanade, the Lokayutka, has urged the State Government to pass appropriate legislation to guarantee that people have access to life-saving medications at fair pricing and to stop their improper usage through black-marketing.
According to Justice Kanade, there was no effective mechanism in place during the Covid-19 outbreak to order private manufacturers to offer life-saving medications at specific fixed costs. "The state of Maharashtra ought to have introduced a law or ordinance mandating the producers to deliver life-saving medications at a fair price. A relevant change to the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897, must be adopted if the provisions of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, do not grant the government any authority, the Lokayukta noted.
According to Justice Kanade, it is well known that criminal elements sell medicines on the black market whenever demand for life-saving medications increases and cannot be met. The Lokayukta stated, "Therefore, the Maharashtra Government shall devise a proper action plan by issuing necessary notification, regulation, and pass appropriate Act to curtail this menace so that, should such a situation arise in the future, the government is equipped with adequate powers to ensure proper supply of life-saving medications.
