Sri Vijaya Puram, November 14: Jewellers and bullion traders across the Andaman and Nicobar Islands will have to switch to high-precision weighing machines capable of measuring gold, silver and other precious commodities in increments of 1 milligram, following a regulatory amendment aimed at ensuring accuracy in commercial transactions and protecting consumers from incorrect weight measurements.
The Directorate of Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, through its Legal Metrology Wing, has notified amendments to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Legal Metrology (Enforcement) Rules, 2011, making the use of 1 mg precision weighing balances mandatory for businesses dealing in precious metals and stones across the Union Territory.
The revised provisions require jewellers, bullion merchants, goldsmiths, pawn brokers and other traders dealing in gold, silver, platinum and precious stones to use only Class I or Class II electronic precision balances with a verification scale interval or scale division of 1 mg (0.001 gram).
Under the new requirements, weighing instruments with coarser divisions, including 10 mg and 100 mg balances, will not be permitted for such commercial transactions. Traders must upgrade their existing equipment to meet the prescribed accuracy standards.
The Legal Metrology Wing has also made prior verification and stamping compulsory for every 1 mg precision balance before it can be used for commercial purposes. The instruments must be verified, calibrated and stamped by the Legal Metrology Section in accordance with Section 24 of the Legal Metrology Act, 2009.
Enforcement teams will conduct inspections of jewellery outlets and other establishments covered by the amended rules to check compliance.
Businesses found using unverified weighing instruments or machines that do not meet the prescribed precision standards could face penal action, including seizure of non-standard equipment and compounding or prosecution under the Legal Metrology Act, 2009.
The department has also urged consumers to check the validity of the Legal Metrology verification stamp or certificate displayed at jewellery outlets before making purchases. Buyers have been advised to examine the digital weighing display and ensure that it provides readings in 1 mg increments while their purchases are being weighed.
Consumers can report violations or lodge complaints with the Directorate in writing. They can also contact the department through its toll-free Consumer Helpline at 18003453197 or telephone number 03192-230337.
The amendment follows directions from the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Government of India, to strengthen safeguards for consumers and improve measurement accuracy in transactions involving high-value commodities.
