Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Amendment Rules, 2021

Department of Consumer Affairs issued Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Amendment Rules, 2021 

The Department of Consumer Affairs has issued the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Amendment Rules, 2021 which are as follows:

1. When one or more packages intended for retail sale are grouped together for being sold as a retail package on promotional offer, every package of the group shall comply with the procedure prescribed in the amendment for declaring unit sale price in the package.

2. The rule 5 pertaining to Specific commodities to be packed and sold in recommended standard packages is omitted.

3. The Government has now mandated that declaration of maximum retail price (MRP) in Indian currency inclusive of all taxes on pre-packed commodities and date of manufacture.

4. The provisions of declarations of MRP have been simplified by removing illustration and providing for making the mandatory declaration of MRP in Indian currency inclusive of all taxes.

5. A new provision has been introduced to indicate the unit sale price on pre packed commodities, which will allow easier comparison of the prices of the commodities at the time of purchase. This has allowed the manufacturer, packer and importer to declare the MRP on the pre packed commodities in a simplified manner.

The amendment shall come into force on the 1st day of April, 2022.

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MINISTRY OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
(Department of Consumer Affairs)

NOTIFICATION

New Delhi, the 2nd November, 2021

G.S.R. 779(E).––In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (1) read with clause (j) and (q) of sub­section (2) of section 52 of the Legal Metrology Act 2009, (1 of 2010), the Central Government hereby makes the following rules further to amend the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011, namely:–

1. Short title and commencement.–(1) These rules may be called the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Amendment Rules, 2021.

(2) They shall come into force on the 1 ^st day of April, 2022.

2. In the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011 (hereinafter referred to as the said rules), in rule 2, in clause (aa), for the words, brackets, letters and figures “clause (d) of sub-section (1) of section 2 of the Consumer Protection Act, 1986 (68 of 1986)”, the words, brackets, letters and figures “clause (7) of section 2 of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 (35 of 2019)” shall be substituted.

3. In the said rules, rule 4 shall be renumbered as sub-rule (1) thereof, and after sub-rule (1) as so renumbered, the following sub-rule shall be inserted, namely:––

“(2) When one or more packages intended for retail sale are grouped together for being sold as a retail package on promotional offer, every package of the group shall comply with provisions of rule 6.”.

4. In the said rules, rule 5 shall be omitted.

5. In the said rules, in rule 6, in sub-rule (1),––

(i) in clause (d), the words, “or pre-packed or imported” shall be omitted;

(ii) in clause (e), for the words commencing with “and the price in rupees and paisa”, and ending with “(d) MRP Rs. ₹ xx.xx(inclusive of all taxes):”, the words “in Indian currency:” shall be substituted;

(iii) after sub-rule (10), the following sub-rule shall be inserted, namely:––

“(11) The unit sale price shall be declared as–

(i) “Rs.__ per g” for pre-packaged commodities with net quantity of commodity less than one kilogram;

(ii) “Rs.__ per kg” for pre-packaged commodities with net quantity of commodity more or equal to one kilogram;

(iii) “Rs.__ per cm” for pre-packaged commodities with net length of the commodity less than one meter;

(iv) “Rs.__ per meter” for pre-packaged commodities with net length of the commodity more or equal to one meter;

(v) “Rs.__ per number”;

(vi) “Rs.__ per ml‖ for pre-packaged commodities with net volume of the commodity less than one litre;

(vii) “Rs.__ per litre‖ for pre-packaged commodities with net volume of the commodity more or equal to one litre.‖.

6. In the said rules, in rule 13, in sub-rule (5), for clause (ii), the following clause shall be substituted, namely:–

” (ii) for items sold by number, the number or unit or piece or pair or set or such other word which represents the quantity in the package shall be mentioned.”.

7. In the said rules, in rule 18,–

(i) in sub-rule (2A), for the words, brackets, letters and figures, ―clause (nnn) and clause (r), respectively of sub-section (1) of section 2 of the Consumer Protection Act, 1986 (68 of 1986)”, the words, brackets, letters and figures ―clause (41) and (47) of section 2 of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 (35 of 2019)” shall be substituted;

(ii) in sub-rule (7), for the words, brackets and letters, ―Value Added Tax (VAT) or Turn Over Tax (TOT)”, the words, ―Goods and Service Tax” shall be substituted.

[F. No. I-10/22/2021]

ANUPAM MISHRA, Jt. Secy.

Note : The principal rules were published in the Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part II, Section 3, Sub-section (i) vide G.S.R. number 202 (E). dated the 7^th March, 2011 and last amended vide notification number G.S.R. 629 (E). dated the 23^rd June, 2017.