Goemakpronn desk
CANACONA: In a surprise move, a Team from the Legal Metrology Department conducted checks of weights and measures at Saturday’s Weekly bazaar amongst complaints of fleecing the general public by the weekly vendors coming to sell their products.
The legal Metrology (LM) Canacona Team was led inspector Bupendra Desai went on to verify the Weights and Measures used by the Vendors to sell their items, particularly checking whether the Vendors are using the standard Weighing machines/Weights & Measures carrying the official stamp of Legal Metrology.
‘On our detailed inspections, we found two of the vendors not using proper weighing machines and we have confiscated and taken both these machines in our custody and accordingly issued a warning to the Vendors,’ informed Canacona LM Inspector Desai.
According to Desai, henceforth the Legal Team will conduct regular inspections of Vendors conducting trades in Canacona, particularly on Saturdays and Sundays. ‘Our main aim is that the consumer gets exactly the same weight and measure he or she is paying to the vendor or seller.
Legal metrology is always available to protect the interest of the Consumers. A consumer or Customer should get the commodity in proper weight or measure for the value it is paid for and it is the common right of any Consumer, particularly in Acts and Rules of 2009 and 2011, informed Desai.
‘This is not the first time we are visiting here, but on previous occasions following the conduct of inspections we had stamped many of their weighing machines with Legal Metrology Authentication, but sometimes many new vendors come for the weekly bazaar, and a few also do not carry the stamped weighing-machine and cheats the consumers.’
The LM team also visited some sweet marts in the Chaudi market area and verified their electronic Weighing Machines. ‘Whenever Sweetmarts weighs sweets in their usual typical paper box, the actual weight of the items one is purchasing should be over and above the weight of the item. Suppose you are purchasing 250 grams of Peda and if these 250grams is weighed in a box weighbing 25 grams, the 250 grams of Peda should actually weigh 275 grams, and this is the responsibility of the Consumer to ensure the Shopkeeper correctly weighs the product he is selling.’, explained Desai.
Incidentally, Association of Businessmen of Canacona (ABC) Chairperson Diogo Da Silva along with a few members of the association was also present while the Legal Metrology Team were conducting the drive on weekly bazaar vendors.
Meanwhile, Customers at the weekly bazaar also demanded that regular checks on Fish Sellers selling fish on weighing machines, and regular checks by Food and Drugs agencies particularly on Fruits sold in the market. ‘It is everyone’s contention that Fruits sold in Canacona markets are highly coated with some unknown chemicals to maintain their longevity.
Just the way Legal Metrology has conducted checks today, teams from Food & Drugs should also visit and carry out inspections on the various fruit sellers here.’, demanded the marketer at Chaudi.
