The Department of Legal Metrology has booked 40 cases since April 2013 and recovered about Rs. 11 lakh as fine from those who flouted rules on sale of packaged goods.
One of the cases pertains to a well-known company which paid Rs. 1 lakh as fine for selling soaps which did not offer the promised net weight under a buy three get one free scheme, according to V. Gajendra, Inspector of Weights and Measures, Mangalore.
It was violative of the provisions of Legal Metrology Act, 2009 and the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011.
In the previous financial year, 36 cases were booked and Rs. 9.93 lakh was received as fine.
The cases pertained to failure to provide correct address of the manufacturer, failure to mention the name of the commodity and providing inaccurate date of manufacture, import or packaging of the product and also net weight being below the allowable error margin of 3 per cent.
The department booked a case against Godrej Consumer Products Ltd. in December 2013 after seizing five packaged units of saffron and milk cream bathing soap being sold in a retail chain outlet in Attavar under the company’s buy three get one free scheme. Though the net weight should have been 400 grams, the soap sets weighed between 381.9 gram and 386.9 grams.
The company pleaded guilty and paid a fine of Rs. 1 lakh in May this year.
He said the department had previously booked a well-known company for sale of packaged atta that weighed much below the net weight.
For the readers
V. Gajendra, Inspector of Weights and Measures, Mangalore, has promised to act on complaints from The Hindu readers if they cite failure to weigh LPG cylinders before delivery, as directed by the Supreme Court. He said he would consider issuing notices to LPG dealers and take them up with oil companies.
Those facing any problems may call, send SMS or send message through WhatsApp to 98452-27406 or email to govind.belgaumkar@thehindu.co.in so that they can be referred to Mr. Gajendra. Select messages will be published in these columns.
