Power, gas meters in city violate Legal Metrology Act: Plea in HC

A bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice C Hari Shankar of the Delhi High Court issued a notice to the Centre and the AAP government seeking their stand on the petition which has alleged no specifications have been prescribed by the authorities to ensure quality and uniformity of the meters.

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has sought a response from the Centre and the AAP government on a plea claiming that piped gas and power meters in the city are installed in violation of the Legal Metrology Act.

A bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice C Hari Shankar issued a notice to the Centre, the Delhi government and the Delhi Jal Board, seeking their stand on the petition which has alleged no specifications have been prescribed by the authorities to ensure quality and uniformity of the meters.

The bench did not agree with DJB's suggestion that the petition can be treated as a representation.

The petitioner, an association, has contended in its plea that since no specifications have been prescribed, power distribution companies (discoms) and Indraprastha Gas Ltd (IGL), which provides piped gas in the city, "are unable to maintain standards which ultimately affect safety and interest of common man".

The Dignity Restoration and Grievance Settlement Association has claimed that DJB has issued an expression of interest (EoI) for the empanelment of water meter manufacturers in violation of the Act and rules framed under it.

It has contended that the EoI violates the Act as it does not state that applicants seeking empanelment should have a license from Controller Legal Metrology to manufacture and sell water meters.

The association has sought enforcement of the Legal Metrology Act and Rules and a direction to the authorities to prescribe and notify the specifications for power and piped gas meters.

It has also sought a direction to DJB to ensure only licensed manufacturers are impaneled by it for the supply of water meters.