AP’s jewellers rattled by Legal Metrology raids

State-level meet planned in June to discuss raids by Legal Metrology officials and cases being booked

HYDERABAD.17/05/2013.Woman wear big ear ring while attending passing out parade of the 38th batch of 697 Sub-inspectors-Executive passed-out of National Industrial Security Academy after successfully completing their basic training in CISF Hakimpet campus on the Outskirts of Hyderabad on Friday. Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Ratanjit Pratap Narain Singh reviewed the colourful ceremonial parade...Photo: Mohammed_Yousuf

The Legal Metrology Act, 2009, which has been in force for the last two years, is being frowned upon by jewellers who are planning a State-level conclave next month to discuss the raids by the Legal Metrology officials and the cases being booked under the Act.

Not gaining much sympathy from either Minister D. Sridhar Babu or from the higher officials of Legal Metrology Department whom they reportedly met recently, the jewellers have decided to congregate on June 2 to decide on further course of action, said K. Vijaya Kumar, president of the ‘Andhra Pradesh Bangaru, Vendi Nagala Varthaka Sangham’, at a press conference here on Tuesday.

Weighing scales

“Officials are forcing us to use scales that can measure up to one gram, instead of the existing ones measuring 10 grams. These scales can go wrong even with a slight breeze, and we have proved it to the officials,” Mr. Vijaya Kumar said.

Another grouse is against the rule that compels them to bill the customers after deducting the weight of gem stones from the weight of the gold ornament.

Issue of stones

Before the Act came into force, it had been a practice among the jewellers to charge stones on par with the gold.

But they were all rattled by recent raids by Legal Metrology officials, when cases were booked against jewellers for including stones’ weight in the ornament weight.

Mr. Kumar claimed that it was the workers and not jewellers who get the benefit of stones’ weight.

Every piece of ornament changes at least four hands, and the workers gained more from the wastage than the jeweller, he maintained.