The Controller of Legal Metrology, Assam, has issued an essential advisory to ensure accurate measurement practices across businesses and safeguard the interests of both vendors and consumers. Awareness and adherence to the prescribed guidelines are pivotal to fostering transparency in trade and protecting consumer rights. Here’s a comprehensive overview of the key directives aimed at promoting compliance and ethical business practices.
The use of weighing and measuring instruments in businesses, such as spring balances, platform machines, weighing bridges, measuring tapes, and meter counters, must comply with mandatory verification rules. Instruments like spring balances and platform machines require annual calibration, while weights, scales, and counter machines must undergo biennial verification under legal provisions. This ensures accuracy in measurement and prevents any unintentional discrepancies in trade transactions.
For imported packaged goods, it is legally required that all declarations are clearly stated on the package. These include the name and address of the importer, the actual weight of the item, and its maximum retail price (MRP). Any violation of these norms, such as selling goods at prices exceeding the MRP, is a punishable offence under the law. Consumers are urged to remain vigilant and report discrepancies if any are found.
Packagers of goods must register with the Legal Metrology Department to conduct their activities lawfully. It is also imperative that items like footwear and ready-made garments display essential details, including size and price, on their packaging. Failing to do so constitutes a breach of the law, and violators may face legal consequences. A significant directive has been issued concerning the sale of cement. Selling it by the bag without specifying weight is illegal. Consumers are advised to purchase cement based on weight to ensure they get the correct quantity. Similarly, businesses dealing with materials like wood, sand, or stones must use metric units such as cubic meters for transactions, adhering to the law’s requirements.
In the trade of precious metals like gold and silver, transactions should strictly follow the metric system to ensure transparency and fair pricing. Furthermore, when purchasing LPG cylinders, consumers must verify the cylinder’s seal and weight to avoid potential malpractice. These measures are designed to ensure safety and fairness for all stakeholders involved.
For land purchases or surveys, adopting metric measurements such as square meters and hectares is mandatory. This simplifies transactions and aligns with modern practices, ensuring precision and fairness. In the case of bricks, sellers must specify the number, size, and dimensions of the bricks on cash memos to maintain transparency in the trade.
Consumers are encouraged to remain alert and report any suspected malpractice regarding weights and measures to local inspectors of the Legal Metrology Department. Additionally, for imported packaged items, all declarations must comply with Indian legal standards to protect consumer interests. Vendors found violating these regulations will face penalties under the law.
The Department of Legal Metrology, Assam, urges consumers and businesses alike to embrace these guidelines to create a marketplace built on trust, accuracy, and fairness. Let us work together to uphold these values and ensure an equitable trading environment for all, stated a press release.