Home item units sans BIS tag face closure

Ambika Sharma

Tribune News Service

Solan, May 25

With only six of 35 home appliance manufacturers in the state having secured the mandatory quality control certification from the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) till April 30, the remaining units now face closure.

Manufacturers will suffer huge losses if the units are shut, at least 10,000 workers will be rendered jobless. The manufacturers have now sought a six-month extension to seek this approval.

The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), Government of India, had notified the quality control order in November last year for the inclusion of kitchen appliances such as juicer, mixer grinders, food processors and hand blenders under the BIS mandatory registration.

The orders were supposed to be implemented from May 1. However, the manufacturers were unable to complete the formalities within the stipulated time.

A leading kitchen appliances manufacturer at Baddi said there were more than 200 manufacturers across the country who fell under the category. However, in Himachal there were only 35 such units. Only six local manufacturers had obtained the BIS licence till now. The remaining manufacturers were in the process of seeking this certification.

Manufacturers said arranging various equipment as per the BIS scheme of testing and inspection (STI) and further getting them tested at BIS-approved labs before applying for certification was a lengthy process, which took about four to five months. The total time given by the DIPP was five-and-a-half months. There were long queues in the approved labs and manufacturers had to wait for weeks for getting their products tested.

“In case of hand blenders, there was non-availability of approved STI and equipment list. This was published in first week of May and now all blender manufacturers have to seek adherence on this STI before applying for certification. Out of the seven products I manufacture, only three have been approved so far,” rued another manufacturer at Parwanoo.

General Secretary, Baddi Barotiwala Nalagarh Industries Association, YS Guleria said the association would take up the issue with the authorities.

Seek 6-month time

• Manufacturers will suffer huge losses if the units are shut
• At least 10,000 workers will  be rendered jobless
• They have sought six-month time to seek the approval