Old IS STONED: A traditional weighing scale sits on the counter of a shop in Dimapur. (Right) An electronic weighing machine, a model shopkeepers are directed by the DMC to use. (MExPix)
Longrangty & Imtinaro
Dimapur | January 14
With Dimapur Municipal Council directing business houses in the city to use only electronic weighing machines in their shops, customers in the commercial hub of Nagaland will heave a sigh of relief and perhaps might not complain anymore about being cheated by unscrupulous businessmen while buying their goods.
A dealer in electronic weighing machines, ‘Dolphin’ company based in Haryana, when queried on the reliability of the device, said there is no chance of manipulating the machine by unscrupulous shopkeepers. Vijay Bhist, a national marketing executive of the company, said the machine contains software which is available only with the company. And manipulating the machine is illegal as well, he reminded.
Vijay Bhist explained that the machine contains a battery on standby mode in case of power failure. He also informs that the company has six trained persons who will be providing free servicing every one year for its costumers plus free services for any complaints on the machines. The company outlet in Dimapur has sold around 200 machines so far and expects to sell about ‘500’ more.
Not surprisingly, a shopkeeper, who wished not to be named, said no dispute arises between shopkeepers and customers using the machine because the exact weight of the commodity is electronic and neutral to manipulations. Saying that the old method of using stone weights cannot accurately measure a commodity, he held up a 100 gms stone with the explanation that it was a rule for shopkeepers to renew it every year as it losses weight through wear and tear because of constant use. Sadly, some unscrupulous shopkeeper might go on using the old one without renewing their weighing stones thereby cheating customers, he said.
A marwari shop owner, Vijay Kumar, when queried on the electronic weighing machine in his shop, said it occupies less space, is more accurate and easier to handle than the traditional one.
However, all did not have the same opinion about the municipal council’s directive, one shopkeeper, who wished not to be named, said the machine is not only expensive but also there are chances of accruing more electricity bill, damage to the machine and its batteries etc while using it, which he said, “will never happen with the old one”. Notwithstanding the ‘disadvantages’, he has also placed an order for the machine.
When contacted, Chairperson of the DMC, Tovihoto Awomi said the municipal council will appeal to shopkeepers to use the electronic weighing machines. He said all major cities are using them. The DMC chief opined that shopkeepers in Dimapur must also use it ‘for the interest of the public’. Although the DMC Chairperson made no mention of any penalty for shopkeepers violating the DMC directive, he categorically said that the municipal council will ‘insist’ that shopkeepers use it.
It may be mentioned that in the past many years there have been numerous complaints from the general public about being cheated while buying goods. Many had opined that the use of bricks and other materials as weights should be banned as they are not of the standard weight.
Now, with the DMC directive to use electronic weighing machines issued in ‘public interest’, the question now is not about the advantages or disadvantages of using them, but how seriously the DMC is going to enforce its directive.
Morung Express News
