PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun
The chief secretary Anand Bardhan on Wednesday directed all departments to ensure mandatory compliance with Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) requirements and prescribed quality standards in government procurement. He issued the directions during a meeting of the state-level committee related to BIS at the Secretariat. He said that quality standards should not be compromised during government purchases and directed BIS to organise workshops and issue advisories to departments on applicable standards.
Bardhan also stressed the need to create awareness about Quality Control Orders (QCOs) and strengthen the capacity of departmental officials. He directed BIS to organise regular workshops for government officials, industry representatives and traders, with experts providing practical information on standards and compliance procedures. Regular interaction should also be held with the secretaries concerned to improve coordination, he said.
He asked BIS to make presentations during meetings with Dehradun district magistrates so that compliance with quality standards could also be given priority at the district level. Bardhan also called for greater consumer awareness about quality products and consumer rights.
He directed wider promotion of the BIS CARE app, which enables consumers to verify ISI marks and licence numbers, R-numbers on electronic products and HUID numbers on gold jewellery. The app also allows consumers to lodge complaints regarding fake ISI marks and other violations.
