Peg measures in Maharashtra bars to be stamped every 2 years

MUMBAI: After getting 1,041 complaints last year about improper peg measures in bars, the state has directed all bars and pubs to ensure stamping on the dispensers every two years. Officials said inspections suggested that not only were there anomalies in the use of peg measures, but the diameter of the dispensers themselves were thinner by 0.5 to 1 mm at many places—the anomaly should not be more than 0.25 mm.
Till now, stamping of measures had to be done every five years.Sources say that in the absence of stringent checking, many establishments continued to use measures with the ‘government seal’ put at the time of manufacturing, government officials say.
Central legal metrology rules allow for a deviation of up to 1 ml for a 30ml peg, 2ml for 60ml and 3ml for 100 ml. Each partner of an establishment faces a fine Rs 2,000 per offence. So, if there are five partners in a bar, the fine would be up to Rs 20,000.
Legal metrology chief Amitabh Gupta said complaints against peg measures started pouring in after many bars started using fancy measures, the details of which consumers would hardly know.
Last year, the legal metrology organisation inspected 1,404 establishments and lodged 1,041 cases for various violations— 1,000 in Mumbai region. This included 30 cases of use of unstamped peg measures, use of not re-verified and stamped peg measures (626), use of non-standard peg measures (199), short delivery in liquor (5) and other violations (181).
Rajeev Shankar, a patron of a Matunga bar, pointed out that earlier peg measures would be visible at the bar counter where bartenders made the drinks. Now since people sit at tables, hardly any patron gets to see the liquor being poured into their glass. “These measures should be kept at tables so that whoever has any doubt can check the quantity of liquor they are served,” he said.
“Deviations have been found to be high at many places due to non-visibility of measuring device, use of fancy devices such as nose-top, and use of measures of various shapes. Very rarely we see glass beakers being put up in pubs or bars for transparency,” said Aneesh Murudkar, a patron of a restobar in Bandra.
Indrani Malkani of Vcan, a social group creating awareness among consumers of their rights through YouTube and Facebook, said the move would help build a healthy relationship between patrons and the bars.
Sukesh Shetty, former secretary of Ahar,an association of over 8000 restaurants and bars in the city, said the industry may cooperate but there was a lot of disconnect between the intention of the law and its actual implementation. “Industry wants that no flaws should be left while implementing the bi-yearly stamping. We want the government to ask its officials and peg measure dealers to implement transparently and efficiently without much hassles to the industry,” he said.
Shashikant Shetty, another former secretary of Ahar, has termed it a regressive step against tax-paying bar owners. “We are the most regulated industry whereas the street food vendors and road-side illegal stalls that are into selling unsafe food and drinks are being spared. Imposing rules and regulations in every aspect of business does not confirm to the ease of business policy. In fact we are put to unnecessary additional paper works to comply with the law,” he said. Ahar president adarsh Shetty was not available for comments.
In a similar move, the government has asked petrol pumps to replace their steel-jar measures used for random checking with glass beakers with proper marking. This, the legal metrology or weights and measures department says, would prevent frauds. An average over 100 complaints are registered against petrol pumps every year.
Ravi Shinde, president of Mumbai Petrol Dealers’ Association, has welcome the move. “Honestly it was our own demand to have glass beaker. This cannot be tampered. This will make the things transparent for petrol pump owners as well as the officers and consumers. We are happy that our old demand has been met with,” he said.