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In Focus
Seminar on Packaged Commodities Rules
Bangalore, 24th May 2007
The consumer preference for buying commodities in packaged form has increased greatly recently. Advantages like availability of unadulterated product, ease of transportation and handling at retail level, getting correct quantity, availability of label information is driving this preference. The Standards of Weights and Measures (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 1977 ensure that the quantity in the package is available to consumers within the defined limits and regulates label information relating to weights and measures of all commodities in Packaged form. With changing trade practices, pursuant to the integration of the Indian economy with the world, it became necessary to make sweeping changes in the Packaged Commodities Rules to integrate the changed practices in trade and industry to suit consumer preferences.
The Packaged Commodities Rules were significantly amended vide GSR 425 E dated 17th July 2006. The amendments included many changes, which have far reaching consequence on the stakeholders, especially industries and trade. To create awareness among the various stakeholders for proper compliance of the Rules, CII Institute of Quality organized an open house Seminar in Bangalore. More than 70 participants from the management, quality control, legal and production departments of industries and trade participated in the Seminar. Mr N Prakash, Controller, Legal Metrology, Govt. of Karnataka along with his senior enforcement officials and Mr C.H. Moulali, Deputy Director, Regional Reference Standard Laboratory, Bangalore along with his senior officials also graced the occasion.
The Seminar, among other things, dealt with the recent amendments made to the Packaged Commodities Rules with specific change brought about in the production, marketing, labeling of packaged commodities, related provisions of the Weights and Measures Acts, penalty provisions prescribed under the Acts and Rules for violation of its various provisions, method of preparation of the labels for the packages, net content checking of packages at the factory premises, packaging in standard sizes, the permissible tolerance limits on net contents. A lively debate followed by 2 hours question and answer session was held at the end and a large number of questions raised by the participants were answered by the panel of experts.
A priced copy of the Standards of Weights and Measures (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 1977 incorporating the latest amendments and with expert comments, published by CII Institute of Quality, was also made available at the seminar hall for the benefit of the participants. It is expected that this publication shall become an important reference material for Industry practitioners.
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