The hi-tech crane for testing the accuracy of weigh-bridges in Berhampur. Picture by Gopal Krishna Reddy

Berhampur, May 31: Hi-tech cranes designed to test the accuracy of weighbridges and sponsored by the Union ministry of consumer affairs, food and public distribution, rolled out on the city streets today.

“The mobile kits worth Rs1.25 crore comprise a crane fitted on the vehicle and 5 tonne test-weights of 1000kg, 500kg, 200kg, 100kg denominations,” said an official spokesman.

“Till now, we were manually testing the weigh-bridges by placing commercial weights of 50kg denomination on the platform,” said inspector of the legal metrology in Ganjam, Sarbeswar Pradhan.

Now the weights would be lifted and dropped automatically on the platform of the weigh-bridge being tested by the crane attached to the vehicle, he said.

“It has been estimated that a 5 per cent error in the measurement on a weighbridge, which, on an average makes 20 measurements a day, may result in loss of lakhs of rupees in a single day. An inaccurate scale not only causes a substantial loss of revenue to the government but also to the consumers,” said Pradhan.

“The new testing machines for weighbridges would make the calibration process more convenient and accurate” he said.

The newly-acquired weighbridge verification mobile kits will be run by the state weights and measures department in the entire southern Orissa.

The kit is provided with verified test weights ranging from 50kg to 1 tonne with a maximum of 12,100 kg.

A folding-type hydraulically-operated crane is mounted on the test kit to lift these weights.

The time duration for this verification has been reduced by 3-4 hours.

The main advantage of this kit was that the verification was quick and accurate, sources said.

In Berhampur, there are four weighbridges, including two, managed by the government.

“Many consumers were complaining of defective weights in the weighbridge managed by the Central Warehouse but now there will be no grievance with the installation of new weighbridge testing kits,” said Pradhan.