Bhubaneswar: Odisha is set to step up efforts to improve quality, safety and reliability across public services, infrastructure and products, with the State Level Committee on Standardization calling for wider adoption of Indian Standards, stronger testing facilities and greater consumer awareness.
The third meeting of the State Level Committee (SLC) on Standardization was held at Lok Seva Bhawan under the chairpersonship of Chief Secretary Anu Garg. The meeting reviewed measures to strengthen standardization, quality assurance and consumer protection across the state.
Development Commissioner-cum-Additional Chief Secretary Deoranjan Kumar Singh, Principal Secretaries of the Food Supplies & Consumer Welfare and Commerce & Transport departments, Commissioner-cum-Secretary of Agriculture & Farmers’ Empowerment and other senior officials from various departments and organisations attended the meeting.
Shri A.K. Purohit, Senior Director and Head, BIS Bhubaneswar, made a presentation on key initiatives and areas of collaboration between the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) and the state government.
Shri A. Chatterjee of the BIS Laboratory, Kolkata, briefed the committee on the BIS Laboratory Assistance Scheme, which supports the augmentation and upgradation of testing facilities in state government laboratories and Common Facility Centres.
The committee directed that capacity-building programmes on Indian Standards be organised for officials of key departments, including Public Works, Public Health Engineering, WATCO, DISCOMs, Agriculture, Health & Family Welfare, Labour & Employment, Urban Development, Water Resources and Women & Child Development, in consultation with BIS.
Special training programmes on standardization were also proposed for engineers and junior engineers of the PWD, with similar programmes to be extended to the Rural Development and Panchayati Raj departments.
The committee further recommended incorporating standardization and the quality ecosystem into administrative training programmes. The Food Supplies & Consumer Welfare Department was asked to take up the matter with the concerned training academy.
Emphasising the importance of quality in government procurement, departments were advised to refer to applicable Indian Standards and take steps to implement them in their procurement and project-related activities. The committee also suggested exploring API-based integration of state government departmental portals with the BIS website to enable easier access to Indian Standards and related information.
Consumer awareness also figured prominently in the discussions. The committee called for wider promotion of the BIS CARE App, which allows consumers to verify HUID and ISI marks, access standards, locate testing laboratories and lodge complaints regarding sub-standard products and services.
It also recommended prominent display of information about the BIS CARE App at jewellery shops to help consumers verify the authenticity of gold jewellery.
To improve the safety and reliability of piped drinking water, the committee decided that WATCO and Rural Water Supply & Sanitation authorities may implement BIS Standard IS 17482:2020 on Piped Drinking Water Management on a pilot basis and undertake certification.
The committee also stressed the need to formulate appropriate rules and regulations on lift safety in Odisha to ensure compliance with relevant Indian Standards.
A major decision was taken to support the establishment of a state-of-the-art BIS Office and Laboratory Complex in Odisha. The laboratory establishment process will be taken up on priority, with the office and laboratory planned as an integrated facility.
Considering Odisha’s major steel and aluminium industries, BIS was specifically asked to prioritise a modern laboratory capable of testing gold, silver, steel and aluminium. The facility is expected to strengthen quality testing and certification within the state and reduce dependence on laboratories located outside Odisha.
The committee also called for strengthening Standards Clubs in educational institutions and formally recognising BIS activities, including exposure visits, conducted through such clubs.
The BIS Laboratory Assistance Scheme for upgrading testing facilities in state government laboratories and Common Facility Centres was also reviewed. The committee noted BIS support available to MSMEs, including an 80 per cent rebate in fees and complete relaxation of the requirement for an in-house testing facility.
Chief Secretary Anu Garg said standardization is fundamental to ensuring quality, safety, reliability and efficiency in products and services. She highlighted its particular importance in public procurement, infrastructure development and essential services, where common quality benchmarks are critical.
She called for greater awareness among government officials, industries, service providers and consumers about Indian Standards and their practical application. She also stressed stronger coordination between BIS and state government departments for effective adoption and implementation of the standards.
The Chief Secretary further emphasised the need to strengthen information, education and communication (IEC) activities on standardization to create a wider quality-conscious ecosystem in Odisha.
Highlighting the importance of strengthening BIS institutional and testing infrastructure in the state, Garg said modern testing facilities would support Odisha’s growing industrial, manufacturing and infrastructure sectors by enabling faster testing, certification and quality assurance.
She also directed that the State Level Committee on Standardization should meet at least twice a year to review progress and deliberate on key issues concerning standardization and quality assurance in Odisha.
