New Delhi, May 28 (IANS) The Centre’s Department of Consumer Affairs held a meeting with the southern states including Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Telangana as well as the Union Territory of Puducherry, to review implementation of reforms introduced under the Legal Metrology Act, 2009 through the, according to an official statement issued on Thursday.

The meeting focused on implementation of the new registration-based framework, decriminalisation of minor procedural offences and introduction of ‘Improvement Notices’ and the expansion of Government Approved Test Centres (GATCs) and Digitisation of Legal Metrology services. Besides, it also took up the issue of capacity building.

The Department reviewed implementation of the newly introduced “Improvement Notice” mechanism under the Jan Vishwas reforms. Under this provision, first-time procedural violations under specified sections of the Legal Metrology Act would attract an ‘Improvement Notice’ before any penal action is taken.

The reform aims to encourage voluntary compliance, reduce litigation and improve Ease of Doing Business while protecting consumer interests.

During the discussions, states were requested to ensure that the shift from “licensing” to “registration” reflects a genuine trust-based and facilitative regulatory system. It was emphasised that registrations should be granted automatically on submission of prescribed documents, without unnecessary delays or prior inspections.

States were requested to expedite amendments to their Enforcement Rules and GATC Rules in line with the amended Legal Metrology framework. Participating States informed that the revised rules are in advanced stages of drafting and approval and are expected to be notified shortly.

The Department further urged States and UTs to notify their GATC Rules at the earliest and expand the scope of instruments covered under the GATC mechanism. This is expected to strengthen verification infrastructure, improve availability of verifiers and enable faster service delivery to industries, traders and consumers.

During the meeting, it was also clarified that the Legal Metrology Act, 2009 does not provide for inter-state verification of weights and measures, unlike the repealed Standards of Weights and Measures Act, 1976. Accordingly, Government Approved Test Centres (GATCs) approved by the Director of Legal Metrology, Government of India, can undertake verification and re-verification only within the State or UT for which approval has been granted. The clarification was issued to ensure uniform implementation of the framework and avoid operational ambiguity regarding the jurisdiction of GATCs.

The Department also informed that training programmes for Legal Metrology Officers would be organised through the Indian Institute of Legal Metrology (IILM), Ranchi to strengthen technical capacity and support effective implementation of the reforms.

Key areas discussed during the meeting included: Faster and seamless delivery of services through the e-Maap portal, strengthening third-party verification mechanisms; Expansion of verification infrastructure through Government Approved Test Centres (GATCs); Inclusion of newly-added categories of weighing and measuring instruments under the GATC frameworks; and Capacity building and technical training of Legal Metrology Officers.

The Department reiterated that while procedural compliances are being simplified to support honest businesses and traders, strict action against fraud, tampering and violations affecting consumer interests will continue under the Legal Metrology framework. The reforms are aimed at creating a transparent, modern and balanced regulatory ecosystem that promotes both Ease of Doing Business and consumer protection.

–IANS

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