New Delhi, April 14 -- The Department of Consumer Affairs has taken a significant step towards strengthening consumer protection, promoting fair trade practices and ensuring accurate measurement in gas usage by framing draft rules for Gas Meters under the Legal Metrology (General) Rules, 2011.

These rules make it mandatory for all gas meters used for domestic, commercial, and industrial purposes to undergo testing, verification and stamping prior to their use in trade and commerce, according to the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution.

The re-verification of these gas meters is also prescribed under the rules to ensure their correctness when these are in use.

The primary objective of these new rules is to ensure a...