HT Correspondent
NAHARLAGUN, June 30: In a bid to promote awareness and compliance with regulatory standards in the bullion sector, the Department of Legal Metrology & Consumer Affairs, Government of Arunachal Pradesh, through its Publicity & Propaganda branch, conducted a one-day “Sensitisation Programme on Hallmarking and Jewellery Products” on Monday.
The event was held at the Conference Hall of the Controller’s Office at C-Sector, Naharlagun.
According to an official statement, more than 60 registered and licensed jewellers from across the Itanagar Capital Region (ICR) participated in the sensitisation initiative, which aimed at enhancing industry knowledge, regulatory compliance, and consumer welfare through hallmarking practices.
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Welcoming the participants, Minte Siga, Controller of Legal Metrology & Consumer Affairs, emphasised the importance of ethical practices in the jewellery business.
He encouraged jewellers to embrace best practices in the bullion market despite its competitive nature and urged unregistered jewellers to get registered under the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) through the online portal for the betterment of their businesses.
Siga also underlined the need for responsible business conduct, considering the high social and economic value associated with gold and silver ornaments.
Resource persons from BIS Guwahati —Adane Khrasi, Scientist-E, and Biswajyoti Kalita, Hallmarking Monitoring Authority (HMA) — were present to lead the technical sessions.
Khrasi provided a detailed overview of BIS operations, outreach initiatives, and strategic partnerships with technological institutions to enhance consumer protection and quality assurance.
In his session, Kalita elaborated on the hallmarking procedures for gold and silver, steps for BIS registration of jewellers, and the correct usage of the BIS Care mobile application.
He also addressed various queries raised by participating jewellers regarding regulatory procedures and hallmarking norms.
Tasso Gurro, Deputy Controller (HQ), urged the jewellery community to abstain from malpractices and underscored the cultural and economic significance of bullion products in the state and the country at large.
A key issue that emerged during the programme was the non-uniformity in per gram rates of gold and silver across jewellers in the Itanagar Capital Region.
Participants highlighted the confusion and pricing disparities caused by this lack of standardisation.
Addressing this concern, department officials encouraged stakeholders—including jewellers, market committees, and the district administration—to convene on a common platform to discuss and resolve the matter in a collaborative manner.
The programme concluded with a vote of thanks delivered by Sangio Toru, Publicity Assistant, Department of Legal Metrology & Consumer Affairs, Government of Arunachal Pradesh.
The department reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the bullion industry while ensuring consumer interests are protected through transparency, education, and regulatory compliance.
