Department of Consumer Affairs organizes Conference on Legal Metrology

• 26 Apr 2025
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Smt. Nidhi Khare, Secretary of the Department of Consumer Affairs (DoCA), Government of India, inaugurated the Round Table Conference on "Ease of Doing Business and Protection of Consumer Rights" at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. She said that the decriminalization of certain sections of the Legal Metrology Act 2009 will remove barriers, encourage business growth, and reduce fear of imprisonment for minor offenses.

In her keynote address, she emphasized using modern IT technologies to enhance efficiency and ensure measurement accuracy. She put stress on the role of State and UT Legal Metrology departments when it comes to guaranteeing that consumers get measurements that are correct. She noted that India is now the 13th country to have authorization for issuance of OIML certificates. This demonstrates the country's adherence to international standards.

She encouraged State Legal Metrology departments to enroll the eMaap platform within a month and to conform their enforcement guidelines with the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2023. She also informed them that January 1st and July 1st are the new dates for the implementation of the updated Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011.

The welcome address, at the Round Table Conference on Legal Metrology, was given by Shri Bharat Khera. He is the Additional Secretary of Dept. of Consumer Affairs. He emphasized how important it is to have a forum for information sharing and cooperative policymaking. Additionally Mr. Khera called on state officials to respect the values of justice and openness and abstain from procedural infractions.

Shri Anupam Mishra, Joint Secretary, Department of Consumer Affairs (DoCA), delivered a presentation during the Round Table Conference on Legal Metrology. He noted key initiatives of the Legal Metrology Division like the recent amendment to the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules 2011 and the decriminalization of certain sections of the Legal Metrology Ac 2009 through the Jan Vishwas Amendment of Provisions Act 2023. He urged state authorities to focus on effective enforcement rather than revenue generation with an aim for enhanced consumer protection through better implementation of the Act and its Rules.

The Joint Controller of Legal Metrology of Andhra Pradesh, in his virtual presentation, showed that initiatives like geotagging and calibration of weighbridges to uphold farmers' interests. He stressed the importance of enforcement of Rule 9 of the AP Legal Metrology Enforcement Rules 2011 during the bullion trade involving gold and precious metals. 

Other highlights were upgradation of fuel dispensing units with antitampering technologies, enhancement of OVR, GVR, and MIDCO systems, simplification of the licensing process, introduction of user friendly tools for net content verification, development of standard operating procedures, and improvement of milk procurement's accuracy. Also shared were the future plans including bringing new instruments such as Gold Caratage Machines, Lacto Scan Analyzers, and Moisture Meters under regulatory oversight, along with regular training programs for Legal Metrology Officers at premier institutions like NPL and CDAC.

Dr. Anant Sharma from Consumers World gave recommendation that violations with widespread impact should be strictly punishable. He expressed concerns over the usefulness of QR codes when it comes to mandatory label declarations and gave suggestion that penalties should be as per company’s turnover.

Shri Shirish Deshpande from another VCO raised concerns over milk and water overpricing in Maharashtra and dual MRPs at different locations for products that are identical in nature. He requested a thorough review to ensure consumers are not subject to exploitation under the guise of Maximum Retail Price practices.

An Uttar Pradesh representative shared their best practices. They were particularly actions against violations by ecommerce platforms and their warehouses. He reported that weighing machines at 77,999 fair price shops in the state were verified. In 2024-25, enforcement actions led to 516 cases related to e-commerce declarations, of which 364 were compounded, resulting in the recovery of around Rs 11 crore in compounding fees.

Chief Scientist at NPL Dr. Ashish Agarwal presented an overview of the Time Dissemination project and its future implementation. Also, Sh. G. Mayil Muthu Kumaran, who is the DDG at NIC, gave a presentation on the eMaap portal. States such as Odisha, Punjab, and Goa also shared their best practices related to Legal Metrology during the conference.

The Round Table Conference was an important platform for sharing insights and developing collaborative policies. Its aim was to strengthen the Legal Metrology framework in India to better balance business innovation with consumer rights. Around 250 participants attended the conference like Controllers of Legal Metrology from various states, and representatives from leading industry associations such as FICCI, Retailers Association of India, ASSOCHAM, PHD, IBHA, CAIT, AIBA, CII, along with Voluntary Consumer Organizations.

Source: PIB