We are all aware that an LPG cylinder delivered at our doorstep may not contain the net quantity of cooking gas declared on the cylinder. So, we insist on the deliveryman weighing the cylinder at the time of delivery and the gas agencies send a hand-held weighing scale with the deliveryman to facilitate this.

But what about all those household provisions that we buy every month? Have you ever given a thought to whether these packaged goods actually contain the quantity declared on it? When we buy these goods, we assume that the weight or volume declared by the manufacturer on the package is accurate. But that assumption may not always be correct.

Consumer groups have many times brought to light cases of packages containing quantities lesser than what is declared on the package. Such complaints have also been made before the consumer courts. Similarly, there are many instances of enforcement agencies — legal metrology departments of state governments — imposing penalties on manufacturers for packing much less than the declared weight and asking them to repack the entire batch. The penalty for the first offence in such cases is Rs 10,000.

Now, like the LPG cylinder, you can also double check the weight of the packed goods that you buy and the government has facilitated this by making it mandatory for certain class of retailers selling packaged goods to keep an electronic weighing machine for the purpose. It’s a good beginning, but should extend to all retailers.

The Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011, which came into force on April 1, says under rule 18 (sub rule 7) that all retailers who are covered under the value added tax (VAT) or turn over tax and dealing in packed commodities, shall maintain an electronic weighing machine of at least accuracy class III, with smallest division of at least one gram, with facility to issue a printed receipt indicating among other things, the gross quantity, price and the like at a prominent place in the retail premises. Consumers wishing to check the weight of any packaged commodity bought at the retail outlet should be able to do so free of cost, the rule says.

So do try and make use of this facility — get packages checked once in a while to see if the quantity is accurate. If it is not, then complain to the department of legal metrology. But make sure that you collect the receipt showing the weight of the package.