A busy 2013 for Legal Metrology Dept

The officials of AP Legal Metrology, Hyderabad, conducted a surprise inspection on jewellery shops at Secunderabad to ensure that common public were not cheated while weighing gold ornaments. Nearly 25 cases were registered during the inspection against gold shops at General Bazar.

The shops that were caught manipulating were Manepally Jewellers, Trichy Jewellers, Sri Om Prakash & Sons Jewellers, K Chandukant Jewellers, Sri Karke Balaraju Jems & Jewellers, Sri Mahalaxmi Jewellers, Banwarilal Sri ram Jewellery Mart, Anannya Jems & Jewellers, Permeshwar Rao & Vallepu Laxmaiah Jewellers, Sri Sai Shakthi Jewellers, Chand Brothers Jewellers, Shakelli Venkat Ramaiah Brothers, Sri Laxmi Jewellers & Pearls, Sri Raghavendra Jewellery Mart, Kalakantla Jewellers, Chitranjali Jems & Jewellery.

They were found using faulty electronic weighing machines, selling gold ornaments without deducting stone weight from the weight of gold, not using 1 mg accuracy electronic weighing machine and not mentioning the purity of gold in the purchase bills.

There were many instances of manufacturers and dealers of electronic weighing machines not adhering to the acts and rules of the department. Cases were registered against 13 manufacturers and 169 dealers, after a special drive was conducted for identifying violators.

Some of them were manufacturing weighing instruments that were not similar to the model that was approved. They were supplying machines for fraudulent use. Cases were registered against companies like Ex-Con Instruments and Cal-On Instruments. Cal-On instruments were also caught for exporting weighing instruments without export registration. Apex Electronic, LND Instruments, Essess Electronic, Venkateshwara Weghing Services, DG Weighing Services, Met Weigh India, SS Industries, Add on Systems, Global Trading, Cal-Weigh were also manufacturers who were held for violating the rules of Legal Metrology Department.

Raids were conducted on LPG bottling units and LPG distributors. The executives of the Legal Metrology Department found a lot of irregularities in the LPG filling units and distribution points. The irregularities noticed were under-filling of LPG cylinders, delivering LPG cylinders to consumers without weighting them before delivery, using weighing machines without verification and stamp of the Legal Metrology Department, selling commercial LPG cylinders at expensive rates than the price that is marked on the LPG cylinder and LPG stoves and LPG hose pipes not bearing the mandatory declarations such as MRP. A total of 344 cases were registered against the LPG distributors of Indian Oil Corporation, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation and Bharat Petroleum Corporation, throughout the state. Among 344 cases registered across the state, 36 cases were registered against companies in Hyderabad.

The executives of the department checked the quantity filled in 14.2 kg LPG cylinders (domestic) and found that the filling was short of 1.09 kg, 1.05 kg, 835 gm, 675 gm, 585 gm, 430 gm, 310 gm, 180 gm of LP Gas in each cylinder.

In case of 19 kg LPG cylinders meant for commercial use, it was found that the filling was short of 500 gm, 1.6 kg and 2.9 kg of LPG in each cylinder.

After receiving complaints on bakeries for indulging in malpractices in the transaction of weight of cake, selling bakery items without date of packing, price or rate etc, a raid was conducted. In the inspections held, almost 224 cases were registered in the state for violation of Legal Metrology Act and Rules. Nearly 50 cases were registered in Hyderabad alone.

The bakeries that were registered for malpractice were Karachi Bakery, Banjara Hills and Moazzam Jahi Market; Backers Q, Bikaneerwala, Saarvy Bakery, String Bakery, KFC Kothapet, Cakes and Crips, Clay Oven Bakers, Cake Point Bakers, King Horn Baker, Ninth Avenue Bakery, Almond Bakery, Aarman Bakery, KS Bakery, Country Oven, Nuts and Creams Bakery, Take and Go Bakery, S R Banglore Bakery, SLV Banglore Bakery, Just Bake and Sudarshan Bakery.