Information about Legal Metrology (General) Amendments 2021

Legal Metrology Certificate

Information about Legal Metrology (General) Amendments 2021

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The Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Goods and Public Distribution issued a notification on 3rd March 2021 in which it brought forth Legal Metrology (General) Rules 2021.

This blog is an update that highlights those amendments to keep you updated with the latest developments within the Legal Metrology Domain.

These rules came into force as soon as they were published in the official gazette of the Legal metrology department.

Amendments to Sub-rule (1)

As per the amendments, the following sub-rule(1) is substituted

(1) Every weight or measure used or intended to be used in any transaction or for protection of living beings or things in clause (k) of section 2 shall be verified and stamped by the legal metrology officer of the State of manufacture or import or at the place of installation as specified in clause (iv) of sub-rule (5) and be re-verified and stamped at periodical intervals by the legal metrology officer in the State in which such weight or measure is put to use.

Meaning:

It means that any weight or measure product that’s either used for transaction to save the life of a living being has to go through verification and stamping by the legal metrology department of the state of the manufacturer of importer of the said product. Furthermore, the legal metrology officer of the state in which the product is in use shall re-verify it at regular intervals.

Amendments to Sub-rule (2)

The amendments state that the following proviso is inserted in sub-rule(2)

“Provided that such weights or measures which are used by the industries for their internal use and which do not affect the quantity delivered to the consumers or are not used in any transaction or for protection, shall not require such re-verification.”

Meaning:

In case the weights and measuring products are imported for the purpose of internal use and are not used for transactional purposes, re-verification by a legal metrology officer won’t be necessary for those products.

Amendments after Sub-rule (4)

As per the amendments, the following sub-rule has been inserted after Sub-rule(4)

(5) For adopting a uniform procedure throughout the country and to avoid double stamping of the same weights and measures, the first time verification and stamping of weights and measures, sent from one State to another State, shall follow the following procedure, namely:-

  1. All types of weights and measures and such weighing and measuring instruments which are not required to be installed or calibrated at the place of use shall be verified in the State of manufacture or import;
  2. All types of weights and measures meant for domestic use shall be verified in the State of manufacture or import;
  3. All non-automatic weighing instruments, up to ma maximumcapacity of 50 kg shall be verified in the State of manufacture or import, if it is not dismantled or do not require calibration before putting into use;
  4. All other weights and measures and such weighing and measuring instruments which are required to be installed or calibrated at the place of use shall be verified and stamped at the place of installation.

Meaning

In order to prevent the redundant double stamping of the same weights and measuring products (or weights and measures) (henceforth known as products in the context of this blog), the new amendments adopt the following verification mechanism:

  1. Products that need neither calibration nor installation will be verified by the state of their manufacturing or the import.
  2. Weights and measures that in use for domestic purposes will receive verification from state of their manufacturing or import.
  3. State will verify the non-automatic weighing instruments up to maximum capacity of 50 kg provided that the product is not dismantled and doesn’t require any calibration for usage.
  4. Products for which installation and calibration is needed will be stamped and verified at the place they are installed.

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