The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Officials book 183 more jewellers

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Thursday, May 08, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Officials book 183 more jewellers

Legal Metrology Department’s helpline receives 65 complaints during the past two days

HYDERABAD: Officials of the Legal Metrology, who cracked down on 126 shops on Monday by booking cases for irregularities in the sale of gold and silver jewellery, continued their checks as part of a special drive in connection with ‘Akshaya Tritiya’ festival.

They registered cases against 183 more jewellers across the State on Tuesday and Wednesday.

A press release issued by Controller of Legal Metrology Tejdeep Kaur Menon said officials also checked the Khairatabad branch of ICICI Bank, and booked a case under Section 39 (1) of the Standards of Weights and Measures (enf) Act, 1985.

Cases were booked against some jewellers for charging an extra price of 11 to 14 per cent on the ground that there was wastage while making gold ornaments. The officials found some shops using weighing machines which showed weight exceeding the limits of permissible error.

According to Ms. Menon, the department’s helpline received 65 complaints during the past two days. The jewellers concerned would be booked if the complainants produced bills.

Raids condemned

Meanwhile, the Twin Cities Jewellers’ Association condemned the checks by the department. Harikishan Gupta, president, in a statement contended that members of the association were adopting ethical norms of business in weight and purity. He did not want to discuss the issue as it was pending in court.

Mr. Gupta said when leaders of the association had submitted a representation to Minister for Civil Supplies & Legal Metrology Kasu Venkata Krishna Reddy, who assured them that the checks by the department would not be publicised in future.

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