Dist legal metrology dept registers over 1,000 cases

Thiruvananthapuram: There has been a steady increase in the number of cases being registered by the district legal metrology department.
The cases were registered against manufacturers mostly for not declaring the mandates, such as expiry date, month and date of packing, address of manufacturer, customer care number, net quantity, etc. on the packets and also against merchants for errors in calibration of machines used for weighing products at shops.
Actions have been taken against eight ration shops in the district for using fraudulent weighing machines this year.
As many as 1,090 cases have been registered by the department so far in the financial year from April 1, 2022. There were only less than 1,000 cases in the last financial year from April 1, 2021, to March 31, 2022.
Of the total cases registered so far this year, 1,037 were for faults in the machines used at shops, meters of auto rickshaws, etc. Most of these equipment did not have the seal of the department or timely inspection of the equipment is not done.
A total of 45 cases were registered against various manufacturers for not carrying declarations on packets.
The department has also witnessed a steady increase in the number of complaints received every year.
However, the officers say 90% of the complaints were fake and it was intended to take vengeance on shopowners or people doing business.
“In the current year, 20 complaints have been received about fuel stations in the district. Most of the complainants alleged issues in the quantity and quality of fuel supplied.
However, during inspection the complaints were found wrong,” said an officer with the legal metrology department.
The department had stopped inspections at shops and other firms as per the directive of the government not to trouble traders to enhance ease of doing business.
However, the department has intensified checks now in view of increasing complaints, said the officer.