New Delhi, May 31 (IANS) The Centre's Department of Consumer Affairs held a meeting with the northern states of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, and the Union Territories (UTs) of Chandigarh, Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh to review the implementation of reforms introduced under the Legal Metrology Act, according to an official statement issued on Sunday.

The Department reviewed the implementation of the newly introduced "Improvement Notice" mechanism under the Jan Vishwas reforms.

The provision seeks to encourage voluntary compliance by providing an opportunity to rectify first-time procedural violations before penal action is initiated, the statement said.

The reform is expected to reduce unnecessary litigation and foster a more compliance-oriented regulatory environment.

A major focus of the discussions was the replacement of the existing licensing regime with a registration-based system for manufacturers, dealers and repairers of weights and measures, the statement added.

States were advised that the intent of the reform is not merely to replace the word "licence" with "registration", but to fundamentally simplify the regulatory process.

Registrations are to be granted automatically on submission of prescribed documents, thereby reducing delays and making it easier for businesses to operate within the legal framework, the statement said.

During the meeting chaired by Nidhi Khare, Union Department of Consumer Affairs Secretary; senior officers of the Department interacted with Controllers and Legal Metrology officers of participating states and UTs to review progress on key reforms aimed at reducing compliance burden, improving Ease of Doing Business and creating a more trust-based regulatory framework while safeguarding consumer interests.

Verification and stamping of weights and measures was another key area of discussion.

States were informed about the expansion of the Government Approved Test Centre (GATC) framework and the growing role of self-verification and third-party verification mechanisms.

The Department urged states and UTs to notify their GATC Rules at the earliest and bring more categories of weighing and measuring instruments under the GATC framework to improve availability of verification services and reduce turnaround time for businesses.

The meeting also reviewed progress relating to digitisation initiatives, including the e-Maap portal, capacity building of Legal Metrology officers and measures for strengthening verification infrastructure across the country.

States shared updates on amendments to their Enforcement Rules and steps being taken to align their regulatory frameworks with the recent reforms.

The Department reiterated that while procedural compliances are being simplified and regulatory processes are being made more industry friendly, there will be no compromise on consumer protection.

Strict action against fraud, tampering and deliberate violations affecting consumers will continue under the Legal Metrology framework.

The meeting follows similar consultations held with Southern states earlier this week and forms part of the Department's ongoing engagement with states and UTs to ensure smooth, uniform and effective implementation of the recent reforms introduced under the Legal Metrology Act, 2009.

"The ongoing regional consultations reflect the Union government's commitment to working closely with states and UTs to build a modern, transparent and efficient Legal Metrology ecosystem that promotes Ease of Doing Business, encourages voluntary compliance, and strengthens consumer confidence across the country," the statement added.

--IANS

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