Weighing-machine manipulation: Some traders bleed consumers dry

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Be it price line or weight – a section of unscrupulous businessmen bleeds consumers dry in the State on both counts. Even otherwise, the consumers have to pay through their noses because of the skyrocketing prices. To cap it all, a section of unscrupulous businessmen are out to defraud them by manipulating their weighing instruments, including the digital ones.

Sleuths from the Legal Metrology department (Weights and Measures) inspected various markets in Guwahati on Tuesday, and found manipulation of weighing instruments by a section of businessmen. While cases have been registered against 12 of them, many other unscrupulous traders have also been identified for defrauding consumers.

A source in Legal Metrology said, "When we inspected the markets in Guwahati, we were simply awestruck. A section of businessmen defrauds consumers by manipulating their standard weights. What's even more surprising is that even the digital weighing machines have been manipulated by a few among them. They do it by programming the weighing machines. If such a machine shows a standard weight of one kg, the actual weight of the substance bought will be 700-800 gm. And they have been defrauding consumers this way for the past three or four years.

"The businessmen need to renew their weighing machines after a regular interval of time, but they don't do that. This is not happening in Guwahati alone. In fact, it is the case all over the State. Apart from grocery shops, such manipulations have been detected in meat, chicken and fish markets as well in the city.

"We need to inspect markets on a regular basis. However, the mushrooming growth of shops in the city makes it impossible on our part to keep a watchful eye on them with our limited manpower. We appeal to the consumers in the State to inform us if they have any doubt over any businessmen defrauding consumers by manipulating the weighing instruments."

Also Watch: Romailo Tihar biday (Farewell) festival celebration in Sonitpur

Also Read: Farmers' welfare is our topmost priority, says PM Narendra Modi