Minister for CA&PD and Tribal Affairs, Choudhary Zulfkar Ali, today said the Government is contemplating to set up a separate directorate offices for Legal Metrology Department (LMD) and Consumer Affairs Departments for effective enforcement and promotion of consumer protection rights in the state. He said that CA&PD department is also reviewing the enforcement rules to delegate required powers to the said line departments both at divisional and district level.“Concerted efforts are being made to strengthen the Legal Metrology Department and its allied wings for effective enforcement besides implementation of updated consumer protection rights in letter and spirit,” Minister added.
Addressing a gathering after inaugurating newly constructed building of Legal Metrology Department (LMD) at Bemina here today, the Minister said the issue of establishing separate directorate offices will be placed before the state cabinet so that a positive decision in this regard is taken at the earliest to play effective role in providing and maintaining quality of essential commodities.MLA Batamaloo, Mr. Noor Mohammad Sheikh was also present on the occasion.
The newly constructed LMD Complex cum Scientific Laboratory has been constructed at a cost of Rs 1.82 crore and it is to be shortly equipped with hi-tech infrastructure facilities to ensure standardization and calibration of all kind of equipments besides checking quality of essential commodities. It will also facilitate and verify the stamp of the weighing, and measuring instruments used in trade and other industrial purposes.
Enumerating various reformative initiatives taken by CA&PD department, the Minister said standardization and calibration of different instruments and goods was biggest challenge as the state did not have any scientific laboratory to address these issues. He said after assuming office in March this year, Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed’s first priority was to establish well equipped laboratory in both provinces.Zulfkar assured representatives of Consumer Forum that the government would provide full cooperation to them. He appealed different organizations to work in unison to organize awareness programmes for sensitizing the consumers.Secretary CA&PD, Managing Director Housing and Urban Development Department, senior officers of CA&PD and Legal Metrology department besides representatives of several organizations and field functionaries of the department were present on the occasion.