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Comprehensive law on weights soon

Third parties' services may be utilised

— PHOTO: KAMAL NARANG

WEIGHTY MEASURE: Alka Sirohi (right), Additional Secretary, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, addressing a meet on amendments to Standards of Weights and Measures (Packaged Commodities) Rules, with Bejon Misra, CEO, Consumer Voice, in New Delhi on Tuesday.

NEW DELHI: The Central Government is planning to introduce a comprehensive law on weights and measures, which will allow third parties' role in checking proper weights of packaged products.

The new legislation would replace the existing Standards of Weights and Measures Act, 1976, and the Standards of Weights and Measures (Enforcement) Act, 1985, while prescribing the role of third parties like accredited laboratories to conduct checks on samples of packaged products, Consumer Affairs Additional Secretary Alka Sirohi said.

"It is at the initial stage,'' Ms. Sirohi told reporters here on Tuesday after inaugurating a one-day interface between the Government and industry on the amendments to the Standards of Weights and Measures (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 1977.

The Government had been discussing the matter with State governments, she added.

"Since enforcement is a State subject, there needs to be consultation with State governments before a Bill is drafted,'' Ms. Sirohi said at the meet, which was organised by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).

On amendments to the Standards of Weights and Measures (Packaged Commodities) Rules, which take effect from January 14, 2007, she said the objective was to safeguard consumers' interests.

However, manufacturers might be given time till May 1, 2008, for implementing the revised rules, she added.

The Additional Secretary said whatever suggestions industry had would be considered by the Government if they did not contradict the basic spirit of the rules. — PTI

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