Mumbai: The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) officials raided Riddhi Engineering, Plot No. 53, Netali Village, Manor, Palghar, a packaged drinking water manufacturer on Thursday last (February 28). The raid was conducted on the basis of an input that the unit indulged in the manufacture, marking and packaging drinking water with the ISI mark sans a valid BIS licence.
During the raid, large-scale misuse of BIS Standards mark (ISI) was found. More than 1,000 boxes of one litre, 500 ml and 250 ml polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles were seized. The product is under mandatory certification notified by the Government of India, which implies no person shall manufacture the product without a licence from the BIS or use the BIS standards mark.
Action is being initiated against the offender for using the ISI mark without prior permission of the BIS, which is a violation of section 17(1) of the BIS Act, 2016. The offender can be imprisoned for up to two years or a fine of minimum Rs 2,00,000 imposed or both. “Unscrupulous manufacturers use the BIS standard mark (ISI mark) without valid licence to deceive the consumers.
The BIS, Mumbai has conducted raids (search and seizure operations), as and when information about misuse of standards mark is received to protect the consumers from deception and possible safety hazards, which emanate from the usage of such substandard/unsafe material. Anybody who has information about the misuse of standards mark can write to the head of Bureau of Indian Standards,” said Pawan Kumar Kandoi, the BSI head.