Bhubaneswar: The authorities have registered cases against altogether 62 traders in Koraput and Malkangiri districts of Odisha in last five years for violating the norms with regard to the quality and weightage of steel bars.

This was revealed by Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare (FS&CW) Minister Krushna Chandra Patra in the Assembly today.

The authorities have carried out raids at 324 shops selling steel bars in Koraput district in last five years till February-end this year.

They have registered cases against 53 traders for violating the norms and collected penalties worth Rs 1.41 lakh, revealed the Minister while replying to a query of Chitrakonda MLA Mangu Khilla.

Similarly, the officials have raided 126 shops selling steel bars in Malkangiri district and registered cases against nine traders. The have collected Rs 16,500 as penalties, added the Minister.

According to the Minister, the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has laid down certain guidelines for the manufacturers to ensure proper quality and weightage of steel bars.

The BIS also inspects the manufacturing units as well as the markets for this purpose. The authorities often collect samples for laboratory tests. They take appropriate action if there is any violation of the BIS guidelines, said the Minister.

“The consumers can lodge their complaints with regard to the quality and weightage of steel bars through the BIS care app,” he added.

Earlier, the Chitrakonda legislator had sought to know details regarding the action taken against the traders of Koraput and Malkangiri districts for violating the norms with regard to the quality and weightage of steel bars.