CANACONA
In response to public complaints of irregularities in weights and measures at Saturday's weekly bazaar in Canacona, the Legal Metrology Department conducted surprise inspections to ensure fair trade practices among vendors.
Led by Inspector Bupendra Desai, the team meticulously checked the weighing machines used by vendors to verify their compliance with legal standards.
"During our thorough inspections, we discovered two vendors using non-standard weighing machines. As a result, we confiscated these machines and issued warnings to the vendors," shared Inspector Desai.
Moving forward, the Legal Metrology team has committed to conducting regular inspections of vendors at the Canacona market, particularly during weekends. Their primary objective is to ensure that consumers receive accurate weights and measures for the goods they purchase.
"Consumer protection is our top priority. Every consumer has the right to receive the exact weight or measure of the product they are paying for, as stipulated in the Acts and Rules of 2009 and 2011," emphasised Desai.
The team also visited sweet marts in the Chaudi market area, where they verified electronic weighing machines used for weighing sweets sold in traditional paper boxes. Inspector Desai explained, "When sweets are sold in paper boxes, the weight of the actual product should exceed the weight of the box. For instance, if you purchase 250 grams of pedha and these 250 grams are weighed in a box weighing 25 grams, the total weight should be 275 grams. It is the responsibility of the consumer to ensure the shopkeeper correctly weighs the product," explained Desai.
During the inspections, members of the Association of Businessmen of Canacona, including Chairperson Diogo Da Silva, observed the proceedings alongside the Legal Metrology team.
Customers at the weekly bazaar expressed their concerns and urged for similar inspections to be conducted on fish sellers using weighing machines and for regular checks by Food and Drugs agencies on fruits sold in the market.
"The fruits sold in Canacona markets are often suspected to be coated with chemicals for preservation. Just as Legal Metrology conducts checks, we demand that Food & Drugs teams also inspect fruit sellers regularly," asserted a marketer at Chaudi.
