Excessive rate for meter calibration in Islands
Sarthak Kanjilal
Port Blair, May 27: All is not well with meter calibration in Andaman and Nicobar Islands. While auto drivers allege that the Department of CS and CA as well as the meter dealers are charging excessive fees from them, some business owners allege that the Department of CS & CA is favouring a few meter dealers and neglecting others.
On May 18, Andaman Sheekha published a story about use of bulky electronic meters in city, which is believed to be dangerous for passengers and within few days a team of Department of Civil Supplies visited Havelock Island, with a local Auto Meter dealer and calibrated 46 more bulky meters.
Many believe that this was done to ensure that all bulky meter presently available with a local meter dealer are sold out, before Administration bans use of bulky electronic meter, based on media reports.
The allegation does not end here, auto drivers allege that the meter dealers are charging heavily for meter calibration from auto drivers.
“At Port Blair we need to pay Rs. 500 while in remote Islandes we need to pay Rs. 700 for meter calibration but the actual fees of Government is just Rs. 100. The Administration must clarify why such excess amount is charged for meter calibration from the auto drivers,” Mr. P Kumaresan, the President of Island Auto Association told Andaman Sheekha today
The Island Auto Association alleges that in place like Neil, where auto drivers have already purchased electronic meters of their own choice, the Department of CS and CA is not sending its team for calibration as now they won’t get profit.
“But in places like Havelock they take representatives of local dealers and make people buy meters from those dealers and conduct regular meter calibration,” Kumaresan alleged.
Auto drivers told Andaman Sheekha that most of the electronic meters are already calibrated by the company but for reason unknown the calibration is done again in Andaman.
“Why can’t the Department of CS and CA staff calibrate all electronic meters? Why there is a need to take private parties along, who charge excessive rate for calibration? Moreover for this extra amount the private meter dealers never issue any bill. This is open exploitation,” Kumaresan added.
When Contacted the Mr. Rajesh Kumar, Legal Metrology Officer claimed innocence and maintained that the Department of CS and CA never forces any auto driver to buy any particular type of electronic meter and from any particular shop.
“The government charge for meter calibration is Rs. 100. We charge Rs. 50 or Rs. 100 extra in case of delay in calibration. The private party charges some extra amount which is for their travelling and other expenses, for which we are not concerned. But the extra amount should have been Rs. 50 to Rs 100 but now when there are allegations that the private meter dealers are charging heavy amount. We would soon conduct an inquiry,” the Legal Metrology Officer of Department of CS and CA added.
Regarding favouring a certain business houses while calibration the LMO added that the selection of private meter dealer for any Island, depends solely on the size of the Island and availability of skilled man power to fix meters.
“For example if the Island is big we take people from all three business houses but if the Island is small, we take one person and prefer those who have better skilled workers and can finish works in one day,” he added.
Regarding delay in calibration of auto meters in Neil Island the LMO could not give satisfactory answer. “Due to shortage of manpower calibration of meters could not be done in Neil Island,” the LMO added.
However, he promised to finish calibration of all auto meters of Neil Island by June 3rd Week.
Island Auto Association however feels that private business owners and some staffs of Department of CS and CA are hand in gloves for which the auto drivers are forced to pay extra for calibration and suffer heavy loss and mental agony. “We demand a thorough inquiry in this entire episode,” said an auto driver of Port Blair city.
