Jammu Chamber calls for stronger trader-consumer balance in legal enforcement

Jammu: A delegation of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI) Jammu, led by its president Arun Gupta, on Monday met the Controller of Legal Metrology Department J&K, Rajinder Singh Tara, at the department’s Narwal complex and discussed several issues concerning the trading community.

During the interaction, Controller Tara assured the delegation that all genuine concerns of traders would be addressed in a fair and effective manner, while safeguarding the rights of consumers. “Consumer protection is the core mandate of the department, but strict enforcement of laws will always go hand in hand with trader facilitation,” he said.

The Controller highlighted a series of reforms undertaken under the Ease of Doing Business framework, including online service delivery, minimal physical interface in verifications, online fee payment and technology-driven monitoring systems. He said these measures are designed to improve transparency, accountability and speedy grievance redressal.

He also mentioned that the department is conducting awareness programmes, verification camps and consumer sensitization drives to promote compliance and trust between traders and consumers. A calendar of trade-specific awareness and compliance camps has also been prepared to ensure regular interaction with the business community, Tara informed.

Calling for a cooperative approach, he stressed that compliance should be viewed as a “shared responsibility” rather than a burden. “Continuous engagement with stakeholders and extensive use of both print and electronic media will remain central to our public outreach,” he added.

Reiterating the department’s commitment, Tara assured that every effort will be made to maintain a fair balance between consumer rights and business interests.