Question : AMENDMENT OF WEIGHTS AND MEASURES ACT

(a) whether the Government has decided to amend the Standards of Weights and Measures Act, 1976; and

(b) if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor?

THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION (SHRI TASLIMUDDIN)

(a) : Yes Sir.

(b) : The Standards of Weights and Measures Act, 1976 is based on the then prevailing international practices, which provides for establishing standards of weights and measures for regulation of inter-state trade or commerce in weights, measures and the goods which are sold or distributed by weight, measure or number. Since its enactment, there has been advancement in international practices and technological innovations made in the field of Legal Metrology. It was felt that the advancement and technological innovations should be reflected in the enactment and also a better protection to consumers should be provided. It has, therefore, become essential to make amendments in the enactment. The amendments, inter alia, seeks to provide for keeping weighing machine or measuring instrument by prescribed retail dealer for the purpose of use by consumers to check the quantity of products, appointing special verification agents for verification of sophisticated weighing machine or measuring instrument; using specified weight or measure, which are user friendly, in public transaction, nominating a director by a company who shall be responsible for complying with the provisions of the enactment, multiple sealing of weight or measure with a view to prevent fraudulent practices, permitting manufacturers to inscribe the non-metric units in addition to metric units on certain measuring instruments for information of consumers and for the smooth transition from non-metric to metric units, providing statutory backing for establishing and regulating the Regional Reference Standards Laboratories, enhancing the amount of fine for violation of provisions relating to regulation of pre-packed commodities, simplifying the procedure of verification and stamping of weight or measure in relation to inter-state trade, empowering the Central Government to conduct survey or collect statistics in respect of implementation of standards of weights, measures or numeration, and revising fee for various services provided under the provisions of the enactment to make such fee commensurate with the services rendered.