The Directorate of Legal Metrology Act was formed by the Department of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution in India to ensure compliance with the Legal Metrology Act and Rules. The purpose of the Act is to manage and reduce the adverse effects of weight and measurement errors. The central offices are located in Delhi, from which the responsibilities are delegated to the states.
Overview of registration legal metrology packaged commodities (LMPC)
Legal Metrology Act, 2009 regulates weights, measurements, and other goods that are sold or distributed by weights, measures, or numbers and establishes and enforces standards of weights and measures. The law applies throughout the country. Legal Metrology Registration or Legal Metrology Packaged Commodity (LMPC) Licenses are available under the Act.
Dealers of weighted, measured, and numbered commodities are required to register under the Legal Metrology Act. According to the law, the business includes buying, selling, supplying or distributing commodities by any such weight or measure, either for cash or deferred payment, commission, remuneration or other valuable consideration. A commission agent, an importer, or a manufacturer may conduct business in selling, supplying, distributing, or otherwise delivering weights or measures.
Every pre-packaged commodity is subject to the Act of Legal Metrology. Following is a list of international units of measurement that indicate the following base units:
(i) length – metre;
(ii) mass – kilogram;
(iii) time – second;
(iv) electric current – ampere;
(v) thermodynamic temperature – kelvin;
(vi) luminous intensity – candela; and
(vii) amount of substance – mole.
Prohibitions Under The Legal Metrology Act:
An LMPC certificate issued by the Authority must be held by anyone manufacturing, repairing, or selling weights or measures.
The manufacturer of weight or measure shall not be required to obtain a Legal Metrology licence to repair the same outside the state of manufacture.
In India, Legal Metrology Standards are defined and implemented by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, Department of Consumer Affairs. While the Legal Metrology Act, 2009, presented under central jurisdiction, serves as a model law. The Act may be implemented by each state in India with or without modifications. Furthermore, a few states have approved their own legislation to address legal metrology issues.
Legal Metrology Act benefits of LMPC Certificate
In day-to-day trade practices, measurement plays a crucial role. Trade must be transparent and create a balance between traders and consumers in order to be effective. The following are some of the noted benefits of the LMPC certificate:
- Reduced transaction costs
- Trade support
- Revenue collection by the government
- Trade barriers are reduced
- Gain the trust of consumers
Registration Procedure
- In the Legal Metrology (General) Rules, 2011, Rule 15 describes the registration procedure. There is a Twelfth Schedule outlining the fee structure and a Tenth Schedule outlining the application format.
- Imports of standard weights and measures are possible. Imports of standard weights and measures are possible.
- To become an importer, producers or vendors must apply to the Director of Legal Metrology, Government of India.
- Through the State Controller, the application should be submitted to the Director of Legal Metrology, along with the prescribed fee of Rs 100, at least one month prior to import. The Controller will forward the application along with a report on the importer’s predecessors and technical capabilities.
- You can renew your registration every five years.
Important Guidelines for LMPC Certification
The following guidelines are for traders to follow when registering goods for import or export. Under Section 47 of the Standing of Weights and Measures Act, 1976, guidelines cover the measurement of weight.
- An application for the underlying registration should be submitted with a fee of Rs. 100/- in the name of “Pay and Accounts official” at Consumer Affairs, New Delhi.
- Under the LMPC Act, the list of items for weight or measure is defined, and only those items need to be registered.
- Upon receiving an incomplete application, the Controller of Legal Metrology must return it within seven days.
- The Controller shall grant the LMPC certificate to the applicant within ten days of receiving a complete application.
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