Chapter II STANDARD WEIGHTS AND MEASURES

Working standards.-

1. (1) For the purpose of verifying the correctness of commercial weights and measures and weighing and measuring instruments used in transactions for trade or commerce, the Government may cause to be prepared as many sets of authenticated standard weights and measures as it may deem necessary to be called the working standards.
2. (2) The working standards shall be made of such material and according to such designs and specifications and shall be prepared by such agency and shall be stamped and authenticated by such person or authority and in such manner as may be prescribed.
3. (3) The working standards shall be kept at such places, in such custody and in such manner, as may be prescribed.
4. (4) A working standard shall be verified with the secondary standard and marked by such persons, at such places, at such intervals and in such manner, as may be prescribed.
5. (5) A working standard which is not so verified and marked within the prescribed period shall not be deemed legal or be used for the purposes of this Act.
6. (6) A working standard which has become defective shall not be deemed legal or be used for the purposes of this Act, until it has been verified and marked in the prescribed manner.

Secondary standards.-

1. (1) For the purpose of verifying the correctness of the working standards, the Government may cause to be prepared at the mint as many sets of authenticated standard weights and measures as it may deem necessary to be called the secondary standards.
2. (2) The secondary standards shall be made of such material and according to such designs and specifications as may be prescribed and shall be stamped and authenticated by such person or authority as the Government may direct.
3. (3) The secondary standards shall be kept at such places, in such custody, and in such manner, as may be prescribed.
4. (4) A secondary standard shall be verified with the reference standard at least once in every period of five years and shall be marked with the date of verification in the prescribed manner by such person or authority as the Government may direct.
5. (5) A secondary standard which is not so verified and marked within the aforesaid period shall not be deemed legal and shall not be used for the purposes of this Act.

Reference standards.-The reference standards shall be kept at such places, in such custody, and in such manner, as the Government may direct.

Standard weighing and measuring instruments.-

1. (1) For the purpose of verifying the correctness of commercial weights and measures and of weighing and measuring instruments used in transactions for trade or commerce, the Government may cause to be prepared as many sets of weighing and measuring instruments as it may deem necessary.
2. (2) Such instruments shall be of such kind, kept in such number and shall be verified and stamped in such manner as may be prescribed.
3. (3) Such instruments shall be kept at all places where secondary standards or working standards are kept.

Prohibition of use of weights and measures other than standard weights and measures.-

1. (1) Notwithstanding anything contained in any other law or any custom, usage or practice, no unit of mass or measure, other than the standard weights or measures shall be used in any transactions for trade or commerce or any dealing or contract or for any work to be done or goods to be sold or delivered in any area or class of goods or undertakings in respect of which this Act has come into force or be kept in any premises where such transactions are usually conducted.
2. (2) Any custom, usage, practice or method of whatever nature which permits in any trade or trader, seller or buyer to demand, receive or cause to be demanded or received any quantity of article in excess of, or less than, the quantity fixed by the weight or measure by which the contract or dealing in respect of the said article has been made, shall be void.
3. (3) Any transaction, dealing or contract made or had after the expiry of three months from the commencement of this Act shall, in so far as it contravenes the provisions of sub-section (1), be void.

Power to prescribe the use of weights only or measures only, in certain cases.-

1. (1) Notwithstanding anything contained in this Act, the Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, direct that in any specified trade or class of trades no transaction, dealing or contract shall be made or had except by weight only, or except by measure only.
2. (2) A notification issued under this section shall take effect in such area, with effect from such date, and subject to such conditions, if any, as may be specified therein.