The Delhi Government has proposed major changes to the Delhi Legal Metrology (Enforcement) Rules, 2011, to simplify licensing for manufacturers, repairers and dealers of weighing and measuring instruments. The draft amendment rules were notified by the Department of Legal Metrology on May 8 and published in the Delhi Gazette.
Under the proposed changes, licences for manufacturers, repairers and dealers of weights and measures will remain valid for life unless suspended or cancelled by the authorities. At present, businesses must renew these licences periodically. The draft rules also remove licence renewal provisions from several sections of the existing rules.
The notification further states that licences will be issued on a self-declaration basis, without prior inspection before grant of licence.
Officials said the move aims to reduce procedural hurdles and improve ease of doing business for small traders, manufacturers and repair workshops dealing in weighing and measuring equipment such as weighing scales, fuel dispensers and measuring instruments.
The proposed changes are expected to benefit businesses by reducing paperwork, renewal fees and delays linked to inspections. Small shopkeepers and repairers, in particular, may save time and operational costs as they will no longer need to approach the department frequently for renewals.
The draft rules retain the licence fee structure at Rs 5,000 for manufacturers, Rs 2,000 for repairers and Rs 2,000 for dealers. Charges for alteration of licence and duplicate licences have been fixed at Rs 1,000 and Rs 500, respectively. However, as licences are proposed to remain permanently valid unless cancelled, businesses are expected to avoid repeated renewal procedures and recurring compliance costs.
Consumers are also likely to benefit indirectly, as the rules continue to mandate verification and stamping of weighing and measuring instruments before sale or use, helping ensure accuracy in commercial transactions.
The draft rules also clarify that a manufacturer repairing its own weighing or measuring equipment in another state will not require a separate repair licence, though prior intimation to the concerned Legal Metrology officer will remain mandatory. According to the notification, stakeholders may submit objections and suggestions within 30 days of publication of the draft rules.
