It is the primary duty of the legal metrology officer to keep a check on the compliances being done by the manufacturer, importer, and seller of prepackaged commodities and weight or measures. In order to fulfill the duty, certain powers have been allotted to the Legal Metrology officers, which makes them able to act in their capacity and ensure the compliance of the Legal Metrology act in the interest of the general public.
The Legal Metrology officer takes care of the disputes under Legal Metrology that may arise with the non-compliance of the guidelines under the act. They also have the power to inspect and conduct raids etc.
Officers of Legal Metrology
The legal metrology department has a wide range in the entire country; hence it has officers who take care of the legal metrology department. Those officers are:
- The Controller of Legal metrology
- Joint Controller of Legal Metrology
- Deputy Comptroller of Legal Metrology
- Inspector of Legal Metrology headquarters, etc.
All the above officers are the officers of the legal metrology department and have been given some specific powers so that they can keep an eye on and keep a regular check on the compliance of the act.
Power of Controller under Legal Metrology
The Controller is an officer of legal metrology and he has been given certain powers, such are those given below:
- He can appoint authority to all non-gazette officers and staff.
- He has the power to exercise the power of the director whenever delegated to him.
- He can grant a license to the manufacturer, repairer, or dealer of weights and measures.
- He has the power to direct the officers of legal metrology from time to time within his state.
- He can provide the measurement, and secondary standard weight balance and other equipment to the legal metrology officer as per the requirement in accordance with the rules.
- He has the power to hear the appeal and decide the same in accordance with the act.
- Power to ensure these specifications of standards under legal metrology are given to him
- He has the power to sanction the finance as per the delegation of power under the delegation of power rules.
- He can implement the provisions of the act within his state; he can also implement the provisions of the rules within the state itself.
- power to provide leave to the staff of directorate, inspectorate, and zonal offices
- power to inspect the work of the legal metrology officers.
- power to inspect the documents and the license of the manufacturer, repairer, and dealer of weight in measurement.
Deputy Controller Power Under Legal Metrology
The Deputy Comptroller is the officer under legal metrology and certain powers have been given to the Deputy Comptroller.
- He exercised the power conferred on him subject to the limitation of undelegated power of controller within his local limits.
- He has the power to assist public information officers in accordance with the Right to Information (RTI) Act.
- He has the power to assist the Joint Controller and Assistant Controller in the matter of compounding offenses.
- Also, he has the power to assist in the matter of office establishment, appeals to the joint controller or assistant controller
- He can inspect the subordinate offices in his capacity.
- He has the power to perform the functions and all the assigned duties delegated by the joint controller.
- He can deal with the compounding of offenses never authorized by the controller of legal metrology.
All the powers given above are exercised by the deputy Comptroller of Legal Metrology within his capacity under the act as he is an officer of the legal metrology department.
Read More: Components Of Specifications Of Standards