SHILLONG: Shortage of man-power in the Legal Metrology Department (formerly known as the Weights and Measures Department) has crippled the functioning of the department as far as maintenance of checks and balances in the trading sector is concerned.
At present, the department has only nine trained inspectors serving the whole State and this has resulted in slow functioning of the department, besides creating problems like deputation of inspectors to conduct spot verification of the shops and markets.
“We need more officers and employees to manage the work effectively. We have even moved the State Government for allocation of a bigger team to ensure smooth functioning of the department,” Controller of the Legal Metrology, IW Ingty, told The Shillong Times.
“The State Government had asked the department to submit a proposal in this regard, which we have already submitted, and are currently awaiting response,” Ingty stated, while admitting that the ‘department has been sleeping for the last few years and it is time to pull up the socks’.
Ingty also informed that there was a need to involve more people with adequate knowledge, to ensure upgradation of the facilities in the department to verify and provide better services to the consumers.
Ingty informed that the Government of India has sanctioned a Working Standard Lab in 10 districts of the State of which six are already completed while the rest will be ready in a couple of months.
“We have two zones, Garo Hills and Khasi Hills and one working standard Lab has been sanctioned for each district,” Ingty said.
Highlighting on the skills of the officers, Ingty said that the officers at the level of inspectors have undergone training related to verification of all weights and measures for mass, volume and length and are fully capable of carrying verification and calibration.
“These officers have undergone training at institutes set up by the Government at Ranchi, Kerala and New Delhi,” he informed.
Ingty also informed that the department had recently submitted a proposal to the Government of India for advanced training of the Legal Metrology officers, acting on which the government has agreed to send them to Japan sometimes in March next year.
On the recent rumours on ‘salt emergency’ which sent shock waves across the State, Ingty said that the same could have been avoided if people had been aware of their rights and the provisions of the Legal Metrology Rules and Act.
“Manpower shortage coupled with limited publicity has posed a problem for the department to carry out their work effectively especially in envisaging awareness to the general masses on the existing rules and laws,” he added.
