A team of officials from the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), operating from the Jammu and Kashmir branch office, conducted an enforcement raid on Friday at a seller's premises located on Kapurthala Road in Jalandhar.
Seizure of Steel Tape Measures
The team seized 700 steel tape measures for the alleged contravention of Section 17(1)(a) of the BIS Act. The seller was found storing and exhibiting for sale steel tape measures of various brands without the mandatory BIS Standard Mark, commonly known as the ISI Mark.
Legal Implications
The officials stated that the seller had violated Section 29 of the BIS Act, which prescribes penalties including imprisonment for up to two years, a fine of no less than Rs 2,00,000, or both. Further legal proceedings are being initiated to file a complaint before the competent Court of Law.
Mandatory Certification Requirements
Steel tape measures, which must conform to IS 1269 (Part 2), are covered under the Legal Metrology (Material Measures of Length) (Quality Control) Order, 2023. This order was issued by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India. Therefore, mandatory BIS certification is required for these products.
Appeal to Consumers
BIS officials have urged all consumers to use the ‘BIS CARE’ mobile application, available on both Android and iOS platforms, to verify whether a product is covered under mandatory BIS certification. The app also allows users to check the authenticity of the ISI Mark and the genuineness of BIS Hallmark on gold jewellery.
