Maharashtra raises fines for weight fraud in packaged commodities

Under the proposed provisions, offenders will be fined ₹25,000 for the first offence and ₹75,000 for the second. Subsequent violations will be treated as non-compoundable, potentially inviting suspension or cancellation of registration

MUMBAI: Consumers who pay for a kilogramme of groceries but receive less, or purchase packaged goods whose actual contents do not match the declared quantity, could soon see stricter action against such practices. The Maharashtra government has proposed tougher penalties for violations of the weights and measures rules, with an increase in the maximum penalty for pre-packaged commodities to ₹75,000. Currently, the maximum compounding fee for such violations is ₹3,000.

Maharashtra raises fines for weight fraud in packaged commodities

Under the proposed provisions, offenders will be fined ₹25,000 for the first offence and ₹75,000 for the second. Subsequent violations will be treated as non-compoundable, potentially inviting suspension or cancellation of registration. These provisions will apply to manufacturers, packers and marketers of pre-packaged commodities and, notably, e-commerce platforms, which hitherto were outside the ambit of the weights and measures rules.

Manufacturers, packers and marketers of pre-packaged commodities, along with e-commerce platforms found using non-standard weights and measuring instruments, will be issued an improvement notice for the first offence. A fine of ₹5,000 has been proposed for the second offence, while subsequent violations will attract a penalty of ₹2 lakh. The provisions have been proposed under the Maharashtra Legal Metrology (Enforcement) (First Amendment) Rules, 2026.

The food and civil supplies department issued a draft notification on November 2, inviting suggestions and objections from the public within 15 days. Following consideration of the feedback, a final notification will be issued, after which the new provisions will come into force with immediate effect.

“The changes are aimed at strengthening the regulatory mechanism against the use of non-standard weights and measures, tampering and other offences that can lead to consumers being overcharged,” said a senior official from the food and civil supplies department. “For an ordinary consumer, accurate weights and measures are fundamental to everyday transactions. The proposed amendments seek to strengthen the consequences for businesses and establishments found violating prescribed standards.”

The state government is revising the rules after a gap of 15 years. The existing rules were first introduced in 2011.

The draft rules have also categorised establishments according to the nature of the offence. Those covered under provisions dealing with the alteration of weighing and measuring instruments include retailers, dealers, wholesalers and distributors, petrol pumps and CNG and LPG retailers, and manufacturers or repairers or dealers of weights or measures among others.

The draft rules have also proposed a revised schedule of compounding fees for different offences, with amounts varying according to the nature of the violation and the type of establishment. These cover offences such as the use of non-standard weights and measures, tampering, manufacture or sale of non-standard equipment, and violations relating to declarations on packaged commodities.

“Petrol pumps and CNG and LPG retailers found guilty of tampering with weighing-and-measuring instruments will face a fine of ₹25,000 for the first offence and ₹75,000 for the second. Subsequent offences will be treated as non-compoundable, potentially resulting in suspension or cancellation of registration,” state the 36-page draft rules.

For retailers, the proposed penalty for the same offence is ₹5,000 for the first violation and ₹25,000 for the second. The third and subsequent offences will be treated as non-compoundable, the draft rules state.

The government has also proposed an increase of 10% in the minimum compounding amount every three years. The proposed rules additionally recognise government-approved test centres in specified functions under the enforcement framework.