Saurabh Bhagat reviews Legal Metrology Labs, calls for modernisation
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Commissioner Secretary, Food Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs (FCS&CA), Saurabh Bhagat, today conducted a comprehensive inspection of the Legal Metrology Department’s laboratories and infrastructure at Transport Nagar, Narwal, Jammu. He reviewed laboratory functioning and ongoing reforms aimed at strengthening consumer protection mechanisms across the Union Territory.
During the inspection, the Commissioner Secretary emphasized timely achievement of departmental targets and directed officers to further streamline services to support ease of doing business for the trading community. He called for continuous technological upgradation in laboratories to ensure precision, accuracy, and transparency in the verification of weights and measures.
He informed that the Government has approved the deployment of 20 mobile testing laboratories, equipped with advanced verification instruments. These labs will enable doorstep verification services, improve field mobility, and significantly enhance compliance with legal metrology standards – thereby reinforcing consumer confidence.
Recognizing the department’s strong role in safeguarding fair trade practices, Saurabh Bhagat appreciated its significant contribution to GST revenue improvement, and lauded the Controller and his team for achieving the highest penalty recoveries among Government departments through strict enforcement in the interest of consumers.
He further commended the department for ensuring uninterrupted supply of petroleum products during the movement of goods on Mughal Road, where consistent regulatory oversight ensured adequate supply across the Kashmir region.
Emphasizing business-friendly reforms, he highlighted the Government’s commitment toward decriminalisation of minor offences under the Jan Vishwas Act. While eleven provisions have already been decriminalised, seven more are under active consideration – a major step towards promoting ease of doing business while retaining consumer safety.
The Commissioner Secretary also directed district officers to ensure proper upkeep and maintenance of departmental buildings and timely reporting of infrastructure requirements. He further added that land availability is being assessed in the remaining districts, paving the way for establishment of modern laboratories across J&K for enhanced accessibility and improved public service delivery.
Controller Legal Metrology, J&K Rajinder Singh Tara, Joint Controller Jammu Manoj Prabhakar and other senior officers accompanied the Commissioner Secretary during the inspection.