Correct Answer:
B. Storing goods beyond allowed limit to create scarcity
Hoarding, under the Act, specifically refers to the act of storing goods beyond an allowed limit with the deliberate intention to create scarcity in the market. This practice artificially inflates prices and disrupts supply chains, harming consumers. The Act aims to prevent such manipulative practices to ensure essential goods remain accessible.
- A) Importing goods illegally is incorrect; this is smuggling or illegal trade, not hoarding.
- C) Selling without license is incorrect; this relates to regulatory compliance for trade, not the act of accumulating goods.
- D) Smuggling goods abroad is incorrect; this involves illegal export, distinct from domestic scarcity creation.