Bureau Of Indian
Standards (BIS) will decentralise the powers of granting licences
(ISI Mark) to its branch offices which are currently discharged
at regional offices level. A decision to this effect was taken
at the 17th meeting of the Bureau which was presided
over by Shri Sharad Yadav, Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food
and Public Distribution here today. BIS had set up a Task Force
in September 2002 to examine the possibilities of further decentralisation
of powers to branch offices in order to provide better and faster
services to industry. The Task Force in its report had recommended
that powers to grant licences (ISI Mark) could be delegated to
bigger offices at first stage and further delegation to other
branches might be done in due course based on the experience gained
by delegation to bigger branches. Details and modalities of delegation
of powers are being worked out.
In his presidential
address, Shri Sharad Yadav, urged the Bureau to complete the process
of granting licences on products at a faster pace. BIS, should
strengthen its enforcement activities and widen its area of operation
through enlisting the support of the technical experts from outside
and consumer organisations; he said . Shri Yadav also suggested
that BIS should explore the means of providing a third party assurance
to consumers of petrol and diesel to get these products in right
quality and quantity.
Speaking on the
occasion, Shri Wajahat Habibullah, Secretary, Department of Consumer
Affairs said that all efforts would be made to speed up the process
of quality certification and strengthen the training programmes
being undertaken by BIS.
Shri Nirmal Singh,
Director General, Bureau of Indian Standards, in his welcome address
said that the Bureau has considerably reduced the time taken for
formulation of standards and the majority of them are disposed
of within two years. The meeting was attended by representatives
of Economic Ministries Industry Associations, Consumer Bodies
and Public Sector Undertakings.
