• Abhijit Nath, NET Correspondent, Tripura 

Agartala, July 21, 2022 : The Legal Metrology department verified weights and measuring instruments of 39,198 traders in the 2021-22 financial year and 486 people have been charged penalty for various problems while the department collected Rs 1.66 crore as revenue, said Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs minister Manoj Kanti Deb on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the Legal Metrology department also monitored the markets during the lockdown period due to COVID-19 pandemic across the state in order to protect the interest of the consumers. However, the department has collected Rs 9,86,500 from 267 traders as penalty for cheating customers.

Addressing the inaugural ceremony of the Legal Metrology organization office-cum-working standard laboratory building in the premises of Mohanpur SDM office, Food and Civil Supplies minister Deb said “The Department of Legal Metrology has an important role in consumer protection in the state. It is the responsibility of this department to ensure the correct weight of the packaged goods, that the packaged goods are not sold at prices higher than the printed price etc. With the opening of this office, traders of Mohanpur sub-division will be able to avail various facilities from here.

He said “The Department of Legal Metrology carried out verification of weights and measuring instruments of 39 thousand 198 traders in the last financial year while 486 people have been fined due to problems in this case. Last year, the revenue collected by the office was Rs 1 crore 66 lakhs. Besides, during the lockdown due to Covid-19, regular surveillance was kept on the markets by the department to protect the interest of the buyers and 9 lakh 86 thousand 500 rupees were collected from 267 traders who broke the law.”

Speaking at the programme, Education minister and local MLA Ratanlal Nath said “The present government of the state has taken initiatives to bring administrative facilities to the hands of the people. Various steps have already been taken for this purpose. Every department of the state government is working so that people can get various administrative facilities very easily.”

He said that a total amount of 24 lakh 86 thousand rupees has been spent on the construction of this office building. The Education Minister also said that the state government is working with the slogan ‘Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Prayas’. There are various schemes in various departments of the central and state governments. The facilities of these projects are being delivered to the people of different sections of the society. Various departments are trying to ensure that common people do not face any problem in availing the benefits of various schemes.

In this programme, Secretary of the Food department Sharadindu Chowdhury gave a welcome speech and department’s director Tapan Kumar Das gave a vote of thanks. Mohanpur Panchayat Samiti Chairman Reena Debbarma presided over the function. Mohanpur Municipal Council Chairperson Anita Debnath, Vice-Chairperson Shankar Deb, Mohanpur SDM Aniruddha Roy and others were present.