Buyers should be cautious while buying gold: Legal Metrology Department official

Legal Metrology official advises gold buyers to ensure separate weighing of precious stones to avoid malpractices.

Legal Metrology Department’s Deputy Commissioner B. Manohar on Thursday (April 2, 2026) advised buyers to be cautious while buying gold in shops as a few traders were indulging in malpractices such as weighing of precious stones along with yellow metal during completion of sales.

He said the buyers should insist for separate weighing for precious stones before their insertion to gold ornaments. Speaking to The Hindu in Vizianagaram, he said the department had been conducting awareness programmes in all towns of Vizianagaram, Srikakulam and Parvatipuram-Manyam districts with an aim to protect the interests of the consumers. He said the buyers need to check number of carets and hallmark since many shops are giving misleading advertisements.

Mr. Manohar said the department had booked 1,260 cases on errant traders of all goods in 2025-26 financial year and collected ₹46.4 lakh as compounding fees. He said the department had also collected ₹90.89 lakh as stamping fee in the previous financial year. He said the special teams were formed to make all traders of fertilizers, seeds and other commodities to follow rules and regulations and adopt transparency in weighing and prices. He requested consumers to approach the department officials in case of cheating and malpractices during purchase of goods.