Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules 2011 amendment by Government of India for enhanced protection of Consumer Rights
To safeguard interest of consumers, the Department of Consumer Affairs under Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution has omitted the Rule 5 of the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities), Rules 2011 defining the Schedule II prescribing the pack sizes of various types of commodities. A new provision has been introduced to indicate the unit sale price on pre packed commodities, which will allow easier comparison of the prices of the commodities at the time of purchase.
Earlier, the month and year in which the commodity is manufactured or pre-packed or imported was required to be mentioned in the package.
For reducing compliance burden and removing the ambiguity of declaration of date on pre packed commodities for consumers, the declaration has now been required to the month and year in which the commodity is manufactured for the pre packed commodities.
The provisions of declarations of MRP has been simplified by removing illustrationand providing for making the mandatory declaration of MRP in Indian currency inclusive of all taxes. This has allowed the manufacturer/packer/importer to declare the MRP on the pre packed commodities in a simplified manner.
Rules for declaring the commodities sold in pre packed commodities in numbers have been eased out for reducing the compliance burden for manufacturer /importer/packer. Earlier suchdeclarations could be denoted as ‘N’ or ‘U’ only. Now the quantities can be expressed in terms of the number or unit or piece or pair or set or such other word which represents the quantity in the package. This will remove the ambiguity of declaration of quantity sold by number in pre packed commodities.
The amendments to come into effect from 1st April, 2022 to ensure that consumers are able to make an informed choice and reduced compliance for industries.
Declaration of date of manufacture on the pre packed commodities is made mandatory for pre packed commodities under the revised rules
New provision has been introduced which makes it mandatory for the unit sale price of the commodity to be indicated on the package
The number or unit or piece or pair or set or such other word which represents the quantity in the package shall be mentioned in the pre-packed commodities
In order to protect the interests of consumers, a new provision has been introduced which makes it mandatory for the unit sale price of the commodity to be indicated on the package. This will allow the consumer to take an informed decision, irrespective of the size/quantity of the commodity being packed in the package.
In order to remove the confusion in the case of items sold by number, the number or unit or piece or pair or set or such other word which represents the quantity in the package shall be mentioned in the pre-packed commodities.
Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Amendment Rules, 2021 shall come into force on the 1st day of April, 2022.
legal metrology amendment
In the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011 (hereinafter referred to as the said rules), in rule 2, in clause (aa), for the words, brackets, letters and figures ―clause (d) of sub-section (1) of section 2 of the Consumer Protection Act, 1986 (68 of 1986)‖, the words, brackets, letters and figures ―clause (7) of section 2 of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 (35 of 2019)‖ shall be substituted.