India, Nov. 15 -- Consumers who pay for a kilogramme of groceries but receive less, or purchase packaged goods whose actual contents do not match the declared quantity, could soon see stricter action against such practices. The Maharashtra government has proposed tougher penalties for violations of the weights and measures rules, with an increase in the maximum penalty for pre-packaged commodities to Rs.75,000. Currently, the maximum compounding fee for such violations is Rs.3,000.

Under the proposed provisions, offenders will be fined Rs.25,000 for the first offence and Rs.75,000 for the second. Subsequent violations will be treated as non-compoundable, potentially inviting suspension or cancellation of registration. These provisions wi...