Legal Metrology plays a vital role in our day-to-day lives as It has various functions to regulate the Indian market. In this article, we are going to discuss a few major parts of the functions of Legal Metrology.
- Theprimary and important function of Legal Metrology is precision and accuracy in
measurement plays a very vital role in the day-to-day life of every consumer
and trader. - Thefunction of Legal Metrology is to perform toward the public interest.
- Itsfunction is to provide transparency and an efficient legal metrology system
that inspires confidence in trade, industry, and consumers. - Also,it functions to bring a harmonious environment for conducting business by the
way of the following: - Playingan important role in reducing the revenue losses in the coal, industries,
mines, petroleum, and railways. - Contributionto the economy of the country by increasing the revenue in various sectors.
- Reductionof the loss and wastage in the infrastructure sector.
- LegalMetrology is a statutory authority with power and responsibility prescribed
under the act of Legal Metrology 2009. It relates to the Interstate trade and
commerce of weights and measures including all prepackaged commodities. - TheDirector of Legal Metrology is also responsible for establishing a standard of
Legal Metrology and maintaining traceability of standards relating to legal
metrology. - Theother most important function of the director is in nature of regulation regional
enforcement function, enforcement, and research function to undertake technical
field inspection, searches, seizures, registration of offices, and launching
prosecutions. - Thestate government by the controller of Legal Metrology has done the enforcement
of Legal Metrology laws and other legal metrology officers as per the provision
of the act.
The Legal Metrology Act, 2009
- The Legal Metrology act 2019 received the assent of the president on 13th January 2010 and came into force with effect from the first of April 2011.
- The department of consumer affairs is the nodal agency for the implementation of the act and it is specifying the provisions under the ACT. (Read also: Are Your Products in Compliance with Legal Metrology Laws? )
Mandatory Declaration as per Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011
Certain mandatory declarations have to be made on all packages are given below:
- Address of the Manufacturer, packer, and importer of the commodity.
- The government has also made it mandatory to pack 19 commodities in the prescribed sizes in the interest of the common consumer.
- Common and generic name of the commodity contained in the package.
- Month and year of the manufacture, pack, and import.
- Country of origin in case of imported packages
- Retail sale price in the form of Maximum Retail Price (MRP) inclusive of all taxes.
Regional Reference Standard Laboratories Under Legal Metrology
- The regional reference standard laboratories have been set up to meet the Legal Metrology requirements of the industries and commerce in the country and the State Governments.
- Two new regional reference standard laboratories have been established at Nagpur and Varanasi however all other five regional reference standard laboratories are accredited by the national accreditation board of laboratories.
- The regional reference laboratories serve as a link between the national physical laboratory and the state weights and measures laboratory to ensure the correct weights and measures in the state and the transaction.
- There is a total of five regional reference standard laboratories which are situated at Bhubaneswar, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Guwahati, and Faridabad.
- All these subordinate offices and the legal metrology division of the department have already been certified by ISO 9001.
- The upgradation of regional reference standard laboratories, Bangalore is going on to make it at par with the best international laboratories.
- These laboratories are responsible for the verification of secondary standards of state government, testing of models of weights and measures, calibration of sophisticated weighing and measuring instruments, and organization of consumer awareness programs.
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