New Delhi, May 24: The Department of Consumer Affairs, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, has amended the Legal Metrology (Government Approved Test Centre) Rules, 2013, to further strengthen India’s legal metrology ecosystem and expand the country’s verification infrastructure for weights and measures.
Five New Fuel Dispensing Systems Brought Under GATC Framework
A key feature of the amendment is the expansion of the scope of Government Approved Test Centres (GATCs) to include verification and re-verification of additional fuel dispensing systems. The move is expected to enhance the availability of verification services, improve efficiency and support the growing adoption of cleaner fuels across the country.
Under the amended Rules, the following five categories of dispensing systems have been added to the list of instruments that can be verified by GATCs:
Petrol/Diesel Dispensers
CNG Dispensers
LPG Dispensers
LNG Dispensers
Hydrogen Dispensers
With the inclusion of these instruments, Government Approved Test Centres can now undertake verification and re-verification of a total of 23 categories of weights and measures under the Legal Metrology framework.
Supporting Clean Fuel Infrastructure
The inclusion of CNG, LNG and Hydrogen dispensers under the GATC framework comes at a time when the use of cleaner fuels is increasing across the country. The measure will help ensure accurate fuel delivery and greater transparency in transactions.
Expanding Verification Capacity
Government Approved Test Centres (GATCs) are approved facilities with the required infrastructure and technical expertise to undertake verification and re-verification of specified weights and measures under the Legal Metrology Act and Rules. By involving qualified private laboratories and industries, the GATC framework helps expand the country’s verification capacity and improve access to verification services.
Greater Flexibility and Faster Processing
The amendments empower State Governments to notify additional categories of weights and measures for verification through GATCs under their respective Rules. This will help expand verification services based on local requirements. To improve administrative efficiency, officers of the rank of Joint Secretary and above have also been authorised to exercise powers under relevant provisions of the Rules, enabling quicker processing of approvals and related matters.
Verification Fees Notified
Under the amended Rules, the verification fee for Petrol and Diesel dispensers has been fixed at ₹5,000 per nozzle, while the fee for CNG, LPG, LNG and Hydrogen dispensers has been fixed at ₹10,000 per nozzle.
Government Approved Test Centres (GATCs) are already playing an important role in providing timely and reliable verification services for weighing and measuring instruments across the country. The expanded scope of GATCs is expected to further strengthen India’s verification infrastructure, improve service delivery and reduce delays.
The reforms will also enable State Legal Metrology Departments to focus more on inspection, enforcement and consumer grievance redressal. The initiative supports the Government’s vision of technology-driven governance, transparency in trade practices and Atmanirbhar Bharat, while strengthening India’s metrology system in line with global best practices and recommendations of the International Organization of Legal Metrology (OIML).
Categories of Weights and Measures Verifiable Through GATCs
Existing Categories (18)
Water Meter
Sphygmomanometer
Clinical Thermometer
Automatic Rail Weighbridges
Tape Measures
Non-Automatic Weighing Instruments of Accuracy Class III (up to 150 kg)
Non-Automatic Weighing Instruments of Accuracy Class IIII
Load Cell
Beam Scale
Counter Machine
Weights (All Categories)
Gas Meter
Energy Meter
Moisture Meter
Vehicle Speed Meter
Breath Analyzer
Multi-Dimensional Measuring Instrument
Flow Meter
Newly Added Categories (5)
Petrol/Diesel Dispenser
CNG Dispenser
LPG Dispenser
LNG Dispenser
Hydrogen Dispenser
