Odisha News: Bhubaneswar, (Reporterspen), Dec 11: Consumer Welfare Minister Krushna Chandra Patra informed the Odisha Assembly on Wednesday that action has been taken against five jewellery shops over the past two years for selling sub-standard gold to customers. This announcement came in response to a question posed by MLA Bibhuti Bhusan Balabantaray, who sought clarification on the issue.
Patra explained that discrepancies were identified by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). Currently, the case involving Ambika Jewellers in Kuchinda, Sambalpur, is sub-judice. Meanwhile, the licenses of several jewellery shops, including Rajashree Jewellers in Kujang, Jagatsinghpur; Suna Ebang Chandi on Grand Road in Puri; Alankar Jewellers in Sambalpur; and Radhakant Jewellers in Barapali, Bargarh, have been revoked for selling counterfeit gold.
In the fiscal year 2022-23, six cases were filed against jewellery shops for issues related to weighing machines, resulting in fines totaling Rs 23,500. A similar number of cases was registered in 2023-24, leading to fines of Rs 1.55 lakh. By December 2025, four additional cases had been recorded, with fines amounting to Rs 48,000.
Patra outlined measures taken by the Odisha government to combat such illegal practices, noting that 72 laboratories statewide inspect weighing devices used in jewellery shops, supervised by assistant controllers and inspectors. Electronic weighing machines and measuring instruments are routinely inspected and certified to ensure compliance with standards.
