Jammu :The Legal Metrology Department Jammu and Kashmir under the supervision of Controller Legal Metrology J&K Shiv Kumar Gupta has intensified enforcement activities across the Union Territory to safeguard consumer interests and ensure fair trade practices in markets and commercial establishments amid the ongoing festival season.
Enforcement teams have been conducting inspections across districts to check violations relating to short delivery, underweight commodities, use of unverified weights and measures and non-compliance with prescribed declarations on packaged commodities. The drive aims to ensure that consumers receive the correct quantity of goods, pay the legally permissible price and remain protected against misleading trade practices during the festive shopping period.
As part of the ongoing enforcement drive, 60 Improvement Notices have been served and 71 challans have been booked in the month of October 2026 so far. The Department is implementing the Improvement Notice mechanism under the Jan Vishwas framework, wherever applicable, to provide an opportunity for rectification of identified violations within the prescribed period. Failure to comply with such notices within the stipulated time has resulted in further legal action, including the imposition of penalties in appropriate cases.
Alongside enforcement, the Department is regularly conducting consumer awareness camps and trader awareness programmes across the Union Territory to familiarise consumers and traders with the provisions of the applicable Legal Metrology legislation, the new enforcement framework and the Jan Vishwas Act. These initiatives aim to educate consumers about their rights and responsibilities while guiding traders and commercial establishments on statutory requirements, compliance procedures and the Improvement Notice mechanism. The objective is to encourage voluntary compliance, prevent inadvertent violations and promote a culture of transparency and accountability in commercial transactions.
Amid the ongoing festival season, the Department has also taken action in several cases involving short delivery of fuel, underweight commodities and failure to comply with Improvement Notices within the prescribed period. Penalties amounting to ₹3.50 lakh have been imposed in the cases highlighted so far across the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
Consumers have also been advised to remain vigilant while making purchases during the festival season. The department has urged consumers to carefully check the Maximum Retail Price (MRP), net quantity and other mandatory declarations on packaged commodities, verify promotional offers and discounts, insist on proper bills and ensure that the quantity delivered matches the quantity paid for. Any suspected violation may be reported to the nearest Legal Metrology office for appropriate action.
