Govt amends legal metrology rules for high‑capacity scales to ease compliance burden

New Delhi, July 6 (IANS) The Department of Consumer Affairs has amended the Legal Metrology (General) Rules, 2011 to reduce the mandatory standard‑weight requirement for verification of high-capacity weighing instruments by introducing a scientific, repeatability-based verification approach, an official statement said on Monday.

The move will cut compliance burden for industries, warehouses, logistics operators and weighbridge owners as well as lower transportation and handling costs to move large quantities of standard weights, the statement from Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution said.

The amendment replaced the earlier rule that required standard weights of at least one tonne or 50 per cent of an instrument’s maximum capacity — whichever was greater — with a scientific, repeatability‑based approach.

The new approach reduces the mandatory quantity to one‑fifth (20 per cent) of maximum capacity after a successful repeatability test, while maintaining the prescribed standards of verification accuracy and reliability.

Other benefits of the reform include improved efficiency of Legal Metrology verification activities without compromising accuracy or consumer protection, better utilisation of verification resources by government authorities.

The ministry said that the reform is based on internationally accepted metrological principles, wherein the repeatability test establishes the consistency and stability of the weighing instrument, thereby enabling reliable verification with a reduced quantity of standard weights.

“The amendment reflects the Department’s continued commitment to modernising the Legal Metrology framework through evidence-based regulatory reforms that balance facilitation of trade with robust consumer protection,” the statement said.

The Department has been undertaking a series of reforms to simplify compliance, reduce regulatory burden, strengthen the verification ecosystem and promote the use of technology in Legal Metrology, the statement noted.

This latest amendment marks another important step towards creating a more efficient, transparent and industry-friendly regulatory environment while ensuring accuracy, fairness and confidence in commercial transactions.

—IANS

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