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.