Digboi: Questions have been raised over alleged violations of weights and measures norms at Digboi Charali Bazar in Assam’s Tinsukia district.
A section of fish, chicken and mutton traders are reportedly continuing to use obsolete or non-compliant weighing equipment despite earlier calls for corrective action.
Of the 17 fish stalls in the market, 13 are reportedly yet to comply with the prescribed norms, while four separately located stalls have updated their weighing devices. Two chicken stalls and three mutton stalls are also reportedly violating the norms.
The issue was raised by the Digboi Charali Bazar Association a couple of months ago through a message circulated among traders. It said that almost all small and large traders in Charali Bazar were using electronic weighing machines.
The association questioned why fish traders continued to avoid them and whether customers were being short-weighed. It urged the administration, municipality and market committee to ensure that fish traders used electronic weighing machines for the benefit of consumers.
The matter had also reportedly come to the attention of the Digboi Police Station. An official had earlier instructed traders to replace obsolete and traditional weights and measures immediately. However, compliance remains incomplete, according to reports.
There are also allegations that some traders may be attempting to avoid inspection. A source associated with the market alleged that a chicken vendor keeps heavier weights away during inspections and uses lighter weights for sales. The allegation has not been independently verified.
An office-bearer of the Bazar Association claimed that Legal Metrology officials last inspected and updated weights and measures at the market in 2021.
The representative questioned the alleged lack of regular enforcement since then and alleged that several traders continue to operate in violation of the norms, cheating customers while “dusting the eyes” of the concerned government department.
When contacted, a fish vendor requested that the reporter urge the government to introduce a scheme to provide free digital weighing machines, citing a lack of money to replace existing equipment.
The issue has also drawn concern from some consumers and social activists in Digboi. They have questioned what they described as an indifferent approach by the district administration towards an issue linked to consumer rights.
Nasir Neog, a former AOD employee and social worker, raised the issue on social media and drew the attention of government authorities to the matter. He described it as “cheating the public pocket in broad day light ‘.
A comprehensive inspection of the 13 allegedly non-compliant fish stalls, four compliant fish stalls, two chicken stalls and three mutton stalls could determine the extent of the reported violations and whether consumers are receiving the quantity for which they pay.
The Legal Metrology Department and district administration face questions about when the market was last comprehensively inspected, how many weighing instruments were verified, whether violations were detected and what action was taken.
The allegations require official verification. However, the reported difference between compliant and non-compliant traders, along with the claim that there has been no comprehensive inspection since 2021, has raised concerns about enforcement at the market.