Minister for Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs and Information Choudhary Zulfkar Ali today directed the Legal Metrology Department (LMD) to strengthen consumer grievance redress mechanism by promoting online services.The Minister was chairing a meeting convened here to review district-wise physical and financial achievements of LMD during the first quarter of the current fiscal.“The online system for uploading forms and paying fee as well as provision of services for consumers like filing complaints and action taken reports will be in the larger interest of all the stakeholders” the Minister said.Terming LMD as protector of consumers’ rights, the Minister said the department must ensure that the unscrupulous traders do not fleece people during the transition period of Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime.Meanwhile, the meeting was apprised about the revenue realization and the inspections carried out by the department in the first quarter of the financial year for protecting the interests of the consumers.The Minister directed for proper inspection of kerosene tankers adding the weighing scales should be calibrated as per the norms.
He asked the Director, FCS&CA to give real time information about the release of kerosene carrying vehicles to the LMD.Directing the department to conduct district wise mega awareness programmes, the Minister said all the stakeholders should be involved in the camps for ensuring maximum benefit to the consumers. He asked them to give wide publicity to the toll free numbers for registering complaints and achievements of the department.
The Minister also enquired about the status of home delivery of LPG cylinders and asked the Assistant Controllers to properly monitor the process in their respective areas.He directed the Joint Controller LMD to conduct training programmes for the Inspectors as they need to be well versed with the rules, regulations and provisions of the Legal Metrology.While reviewing the functioning of gold testing machine (Caratmeter), the Minister said the general public should be encouraged to avail the facility available at the LMD Complex, Narwal.Director, FCS&CA, R A Inquilabi, Joint Controller, LMD V S Sambyal, Deputy Controllers, Manoj Prabhakar and M A Mugal, Assistant Controllers, Inspectors and other officers of the department attended the meeting.