Agartala, Sept. 24: A petrol pump owner in the state pockets an extra amount of Rs 1,500 by selling a truckload of petrol weighing 12,000 litres. A patient with high blood pressure consumes pills of doses far in excess of what is actually prescribed.

The reasons — defective measuring system, non-verification of the standard weights and manometers used to measure blood pressure.

These startling facts came up in a public interest litigation filed by advocate Samrat Kar Bhowmik against the secretary of the state revenue department as well as the controller of the office of the weights and measures.

Apart from deterioration of health caused by consumption of high-potency tablets, buyers lose out daily while making purchases from the market, the petitioner alleged.

Justice I.A. Ansari and Justice A.B. Paul of Gauhati High Court’s Agartala bench admitted the PIL.

In accordance with the order passed by the judges, notices have been served on the secretary, revenue department and controller of the office of weights and measures.

Kar Bhowmik said according to the Tripura Standards of Weights and Measures (Enforcement) Rules, 1987, all certified weights and measures issued by the government should be verified by inspectors once a year to ascertain the level of corrosion.

These again should be checked by the regional office in Guwahati.

“In Tripura, there hasn’t been any standardisation over the past two years, thereby leading to huge losses for the customers,” he said.