Govt to install electronic weighing machines at all markets under KMC

Kolkata: The state Consumer Affairs department has decided to install electronic weighing machines at all the markets in the city that are maintained by Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC). This will enable customers to weigh things purchased by them and feel convinced that they have not been cheated by the shopkeeper.

"As per law, there is punishment for the shopkeepers who cheat people by giving them things lesser than the original weight. However, a section of shopkeepers would continue to cheat customers. Often, the common people complain that some shopkeepers manipulate their weighing machines to fleece customers. We want to ensure that customers are not cheated by any means," state Consumer Affairs minister Sadhan Pande said.

It may be mentioned that the KMC had held a meeting with the Consumer Affairs department and had urged the minister to install modern technology based electronic weighing machines at all the 46 municipal markets in the city owned by KMC. The minister has already spoken with Mayor Sovan Chatterjee and the concerned Member, Mayor-in-Council (Market) Amiruddin Bobby.

"I have asked the civic body to allocate space in the municipal markets so that we can set up kiosks for placing these machines. The Mayor has already directed his concerned officials to take steps in this regard," Pande said.

According to sources in the Consumer Affairs department, the price of each machine that will be installed will be in the range of Rs 30,000. "If customers, after buying fish, meat, vegetables etc. from the markets feel that shopkeepers have cheated them by giving things of less weight than what they had asked for, they can check it on their own," a senior official of the department said.

The department has plans to gradually introduce such weighing machines at all the markets in the city.

"It was a long-standing demand of people in the city. We are hopeful that people will be immensely benefitted by this move and at the same time, unlawful practice on the part of a section of shopkeepers can be prevented," Member, Mayor-in-Council (Market) Amiruddin Bobby said.