Legal Metrology Organisation

 

Introduction

            Legal Metrology is a single window for all measurement systems in commercial transactions, industrial production, biomedical or environmental protection including Aviation, Shipping, Railways, Transport or Banking etc. Legal Metrology is the guardian of standards of weights and measures providing a precision measurement system and promoting the protection of consumers.

            The West Bengal Legal Metrology Organization was set up in 1959 under the administrative control of the Commerce & Industries Department of Government of West Bengal. It was brought under the Consumer Affairs Department in June, 2000. The basic objective of the organization is to protect the interest of consumers and to earn non tax government revenue in the form of service charges, license fees, compounding fees etc.

            This organization safeguards the standards and maintains the accuracy of weights and measures used by the entire trading community in West Bengal through a team of 163 Officers (4 Deputy Controllers, 22 Assistant Controllers and 137 Inspectors of Legal Metrology) led by the Controller of Legal Metrology. It checks the malpractices in weights and measures through inspections, raids, seizure, compounding and prosecution. It also curbs fuel-racketeering in vehicle tankers, storage tanks, dispensing pumps, flow meters etc;

            The organization conducts effective enforcement for the statutory declarations on the packaged commodities besides checking their net content, thereby ensuring price control and proper quantity for the consumer with the aim of ensuring RIGHT GOODS in RIGHT QUANTITY at RIGHT PRICE.

            The LMO contributes to the growth of manufacturing industries of cast iron or brass weights, beam scales, platform machines and weighbridges since the dawn of metrication of weights and measures in 1959. This can be proved by the fact that 70% of such weights and measures found anywhere in India are made by the manufacturers of West Bengal; The certificate of verification of weighing and measuring instruments the LMO issues is considered a valuable document for a company to be certified under ISO 9001, ISO 9002 or ISO 9003.

            The LMO collected revenue as fees amounting to Rs.3,72,11,491.27 from 2,53,500 traders against a target of Rs.4,50,00,000 during 2000–2001 and Rs.4,22,55,434 from 2,91,442 traders in 2001–2002 against a target of Rs.3,92,33,000 through verification of weights and measures and compounding of offences.

LEGAL FRAMEWORK                           

The Government of India enacted 2 Acts and 7 Rules to establish the standards of weights and measures based on the International System of Units or SI, incorporating the specifications of weights and measures as laid down by the International Organization of Legal Metrology, the French acronym of which is OIML, of which India is a member since its inception 12th October 1955. The Central Government enacted the following statutes:

  1. Standards of Weights and Measures Act, 1976.
  2. Standards of Weights and Measures (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 1977.                                                                                                                                                   

3.      Standards of Weights and Measures (Indian Institute of Legal Metrology)Rules, 1980.

4.      Standards of Weights and Measures (Enforcement) Act, 1985.

5.      Standards of Weights and Measures (General) Rules, 1987.

6.      Standards of Weights and Measures (Approval of Models) Rules, 1987.

7.      Standards of Weights and Measures (Inter State Verification & Stamping) Rules, 1987.

8.      Standards of Weights and Measures (Numeration) Rules, 1987.

9.      Standards of Weights and Measures (National Standards) Rules, 1988.

In order to enforce these, the Govt. of West Bengal enacted the West Bengal Standards of Weights and Measures (Enforcement) Rules, 1990.

ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE:

            The West Bengal Legal Metrology Organisation consists of 1 Controller of Legal Metrology, 4 Deputy Controllers, 23 Assistant Controllers, 1 Law Officer, 1 Administrative Officer, 1 Assistant Accounts Officer, 137  Inspectors of Legal Metrology, 1 Accountant, 20 U.D. Clerks, 33 L.D. Clerks, 25 Typists, 1 Store-Keeper-Cashier, 2 Storekeepers, 1 Record Supplier-cum-Duftary, 5 Laboratory Assistants, 33 Manual Assistants, 2 Laboratory Attendants and 182 Group D staff.

 

 

            The whole State of West Bengal has been divided into 20 districts and 107 units. Each district is headed by 1 Assistant Controller of Legal Metrology and each unit at the sub-divisional level by Inspectors of Legal Metrology. The list of offices of the Legal Metrology Organisation located in various districts alongwith their address and existing telephone no. are shown in Annex  V.

CENTRAL LABORATORY :

          This is a secondary standard metrological laboratory run by the Legal Metrology Organisation situated at P-326, C.I.T. Scheme No. VI, Kankurgachi, Kolkata. Under the Central Laboratory there is one Regional Standard Laboratory situated at Siliguri.

The Central Laboratory is entrusted with the following tasks and jobs :

 

a)                 Periodical re-verification, accurate reproduction of metrological standards of working          standard weights, Balances, Capacity Measures and Length Measures.

 

b)                 Testing of sample of weights, measures and weighing instruments presented by the prospective manufacturers for getting their samples approved by the competent authority.

 

c)                 Conducting of ability test for repairing of various weights, weighing instruments and measures of the prospective repairing applicants.

 

d)                 Impart training to the new Inspectors of Legal Metrology after their joining with practical demonstration for six weeks.

 

          The Deputy Controller of Legal Metrology, Central Laboratory, supervises the verification and testing of the working standard, weights, balances, measures etc. and verification of samples/models of weights, measures etc. performed by the Inspectors of Legal Metrology (4 at present).  He also maintains liaison with the Regional Reference Standard Laboratory, Bhubaneswar.

PERFORMANCE

            The district-wise consolidated performance report for the State Legal Metrology Organisation for the periods 1.4.2000 to 31.3.2001 and 1.4.2001 to 31.3.2002 are reflected in Annex  VI. In 2001–02, 291442 traders were covered out of the target of 3,10,725. Camps held were 814, seizures made 2334, prosecutions launched 67, compounding fees realized Rs.15,93,082/- in 2226 cases. The revenue collected was Rs.4,22,55,434/-.

ENFORCEMENT

There is an Enforcement Wing at the Headquarters of the Legal Metrology Organisation headed by 1 Deputy C.L.M, assisted by 1 A.C.L.M. There are 6 Inspectors for Enforcement at Headquarters and 6 in the Districts. 

No of cases booked: 691 under Act ’85 and 44 under P.C. Rules’77 in 2001-02.

PACKAGED COMMODITIES

            For enforcing the Standards of Weights and Measures (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 1977 there is a Headquarters Team headed by 1 Deputy C.L.M, 1 A.C.L.M and 6 Inspectors.

            No. of cases booked: 336 nos. under Act ’85 and 71 under PC, Rules ’77 during 2001-02.

BUDGET

            The revised   Budget    Estimate  of   the  Legal   Metrology   Organisation,    were Rs. 4,31,14,000/= and Rs- 20,00,000/= only respectively under “106-NP-NON PLAN” and “106-SP-STATE PLAN (Annual Plan and 9th Plan) during 2001-02 under the head of account “3475- other General Economic Services-00-106-Regulation of Weights and Measures etc.”