THE ASSAM ADOPTION OF STANDARD WEIGHTS ACT, 1955 (SINGLE DOCUMENT)

ASSAM ACT IX OF 1955 

THE ASSAM ADOPTION OF STANDARD WEIGHTS 

ACT, 1955 

 

 (Received the assent of the Governor on the 19th April 1955) 

  

 

 

 

 An 

         Act to provide for the adoption and regulation of the use 

of standard weights in the State of Assam.       

 

Preamble.  

 

         WHEREAS it is expedient to adopt Standard Weights and 

to regulate the use thereof in the State of Assam ;  

         It is hereby enacted in the Sixth Year of the Republic of 

India as follows : - 

 

 

  PART I 

 

 

Short title 

extent and 

commencement. 

1.  

 

(1) This Act may be called the Assam Adoption Standard 

Weights Act, 1955.  

 

(2) It extends to the whole of the State of Assam.  

 

(3)  It shall come into force on such date as the State 

Government may notify in the official Gazette.  

 

 

Definitions, 2.  

 

In this Act, unless there is anything repugnant in the subject 

or context- 

(1) "Prescribed" means prescribed by rules made under this 

Act.  

 

(2) "Primary Standard" means the set of weights supplied by 

the Central Government under sub-section of section 4 

of the Standard Weights Act, 1939.  

 

(3) "Rules" mean the rules made under this Act.  

 

(4) "An Inspector" mean an Inspector appointed under 

section 13.  

 

(5) "Secondary Standards" mean the weights prepared and 

stamped under sub-section (1) of section 5.  

 

(6) The expression "Verification" used with reference to a 

weight or weighing instrument, includes the process of 

comparing, checking or testing of such weights or 

weighing instruments.  

 

 

 

Act IX of 

1939. 



2 

 

(7)  "Weighing Instruments" include scales, with the weights 

belonging thereto, scale beams, balances, spring 

balances, steel yards, weighing machines and other 

instruments for weighing.  

 

(8)  "Working Standards" mean the weight prepared and 

stamped under sub-section (1) of section 6.  

 

  PART II 

 

 

Standard 

WEIGHTS 

3.  

 

(1) The weights set forth in sub-section (1) of section 3 of 

the Standards of Weight Act, 1939 and reproduced in 

Part I of the First Schedule hereto annexed as well as the 

multiples and sub-multiples of these weights setforth in 

Part II of the said schedule and authorised under sub- 

section (2) of the aforesaid section, shall be the weights 

authorised to be used in the State of Assam and shall be 

the Standard Weights for the purpose of this Act.  

 

Act IX of 

1939 

Primary 

Standards of 

Weights. 

4.  

 

(1) The authenticated set of weights supplied by the Central 

Government under sub-section (2) of section 4, of the 

Standards of Weight Act, 1939, shall be the Primary 

Standards and shall be used for the purpose of verifying 

the secondary standards.  

 

(2) The Primary Standards shall be kept in such custody as 

the State Government may direct.  

 

Act IX of 

1939 

Secondary 

standards of 

weights. 

5.  

 

(1) For the purpose of verifying the working standards of 

weight, such standard weights as the State Government 

may consider expedient shall be prepared, marked and 

stamped in such manner as the State Government may 

prescribe. The standard weights so prepared, marked and 

stamped shall be the Secondary Standards and the State 

Government may provide and keep such Secondary 

Standards in the custody of the Administrative Head of 

each district or subdivision.  

          (2)  (a)  Once at least in every five years such secondary 

standards shall be verified with the primary 

standards and shall be adjusted or replaced, if 

necessary, and shall be marked with the date .of 

verification by such officer as Government may 

authorise.  

 (b)  A secondary standard which is not so verified or 

adjusted or replaced and marked within the 

aforesaid period shall not be deemed legal and shall 

not be used for the purposes of this Act.  

 

 



3 

 

Working 

standards. 

6.  

 

(1) For the purpose of verifying weights in use in the State, 

the State Government may provide such working 

standards as it thinks fit. They shall be made of such 

materials and according to such specifications and by 

such agency and shall be verified with the secondary 

standards and stamped by such persons and in such 

manner as the State Government may prescribe.  

 

(2) The working standards shall be kept in the custody of 

such officers and shall be verified in such manner as the 

State Government may direct.  

 

(3)  A working standard shall not be legal or be used unless 

it has been properly verified and marked under this Act.  

 

 

Weighing 

Instruments. 

7.  

 

Properly stamped weighing instruments shall be kept at all 

places where secondary standards or working standards of 

weights are kept. Such instruments shall be of such kind and 

kept, verified, adjusted or replaced in such manner as may 

be prescribed. 

 

 

Prohibition of 

weights other 

than standard 

ones. 

8.  

 

(1) Notwithstanding anything contained in any bye-law 

made under any enactment in force for the time being, 

all contracts or transactions which are made or entered 

into after this Act comes into force, for any work to be 

done or goods to be sold or delivered by weights shall 

be deemed to be made or entered into according to one 

of the standard weights laid down in the First Schedule 

and it shall not be lawful to use or stipulate the use of 

any other weight in relation to any such contract or 

transaction,  

 

(2) Any contract or transaction made or entered into in 

contravention of the provisions of sub-section (1), in so 

far as it contravenes the said provisions, shall be void.  

 

 

Restriction on 

local authorities 

9.  

 

Notwithstanding anything contained in any other law for the 

time being in force, no local authority shall prescribe, by 

bye-law or otherwise, any standard of weights, and any 

standard of weight in force by reasons of such prescription, 

on the day this Act comes into force, shall so far as it is 

inconsistent with the provisions of this Act, be void. 

 

 

Prohibition of 

local practice. 

10.  

 

Notwithstanding any local practice prevalent in any part of 

the State, it shall not be lawful in any trade or business to 

use any weight or weighing instrument which has not been 

verified and stamped in the manner prescribed. 

 

 

 



4 

 

  PART III 

Verification and Stamping of Weights 

 

 

Validity of 

weights. 

11.  

 

No weight shall be accepted for verification under the 

provisions of this Act, and the rules framed there under.- 

(i) unless its material, form and specifications con- 

form to the provisions of this Act or the rules made 

thereunder; and 

  

(ii)  unless its denomination is marked on the top or 

side thereof in legible letters or figures or both.  

 

 

Stamping and 

verification of 

weights. 

12.  

 

No weight or weighing instrument shall be sold by any 

person other than those licensed under this Act. The State 

Government may prescribe the form and also fix fees for 

the grant and renewal of such license. 

 

 

Appointment of 

Inspector. 

13.  

 

The State Government may appoint any Government 

Officer by virtue of his office or any other person to 

exercise any of the functions of an Inspector under this 

Act and rules made thereunder. 

 

 

Verification 

and stamping 

by Inspector. 

14.  

 

Every Inspector shall verify every weight of weighing 

instrument which is brought to him for such purpose. If 

the weight or weighing instrument satisfies the 

requirement of this Act and the rules made thereunder he 

shall stamp the same with a stamp of verification. 

 

 

Power to 

inspect weights, 

etc, and power 

of entry. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

15.  

 

(1) An Inspector may inspect all weights or weigh- ing 

instruments within the area under his charge, which are 

used by or are in the possession of any person, or are 

on any premises for sale or use for trade, and may 

verify every such weight or weighing instrument with a 

secondary or working standard or weighing instrument 

prescribed for the purpose.  

 

(2) For the purpose of such inspection, an Inspector may at 

all reasonable times enter into any place where weights 

or weighing instruments are sold, used or kept for 

purposes of trade and inspect such weights or weighing 

instruments.  

 

 

(3)  An Inspector may seize and detain any weight or 

weighing instrument regarding which an offence under 

this Act appears to him to have been committed or 

which appears to him to have been used for the 

commission of such offence.  

 

 



5 

 

Power to seize 

and render in 

capable of use 

 

(4) An Inspector may seize and render incapable of use 

any defective and unadjustable weight or weighing 

instrument. On being so rendered incapable of use, the 

owners are entitled to the return of such weight or 

weighing instrument, if claimed within two months of 

the date of seizure, otherwise it shall become the 

property of the State Government.  

 

Government 

may determine 

difference 

16.  

 

If any difference arises between an Inspector and any 

person interested as to the procedure in regard to the 

verifying, adjusting or stamping of any weight or 

weighing instrument, such difference may be referred by 

the party interested or by the Inspector, to such officer not 

below the rank of a Magistrate of the First Class as the 

State Government may appoint, and the decision of such 

officer shall be final. 

 

 

Levy of fees. 17.  

 

The State Government may charge such fees for the 

verification, marking, adjusting and stamping of weights 

or weighing instruments as may be prescribed. 

 

 

Validity of 

weights, etc 

duly stamped. 

18.  

 

A weight or weighing instrument duly stamped under this 

Act shall be legal weight or weighing instrument in all 

places within the State and shall not be liable to 

restamping because it is used in a place other than that in 

which it was originally stamped. 

 

 

Stamped 

weights, etc. to 

be deemed 

correct court 

19.  

 

A weight or weighing instrument duly stamped under the 

provisions of this Act or the rules made there- under, shall 

be deemed to be correct until its inaccuracy is established 

in course of any legal proceedings in a Court of law on 

production in any such Court by any public servant having 

charge thereof under the directions of the State 

Government or by any person acting under the general or 

special authority of such public servant. 

 

 

Officers to be 

public servant 

20.  

 

Every officer or person appointed or authorised under the 

provisions of this Act shall be deemed to be a Public 

servant within the meaning of section 21 of the Indian 

penal Code, 1860. 

 

 

 

 

 

Act XLV 

of 1860. 



6 

 

Penalty for sale 

by weights 

other than 

standard ones 

21.  

 

PART IV Penalties Whoever in any transaction sells or 

purchases any article by any denomination of weight other 

than one o the Standard Weights shall, on conviction, be 

punishable with fine which may extend to five hundred 

rupees or with imprisonment of either description which 

may extend to six months. 

 

 

Penalty for use 

or possession of 

weights, etc. not 

authorised. 

22.  

 

Whoever uses or has in his possession for use for trade 

any weight or weighing instrument which is not 

authorised, verified or stamped under or in accordance 

with the provisions of this Act and the rules made 

thereunder shall, on conviction, be punishable with fine 

which may extend to five hundred rupees or imprisonment 

which may extend to six months, of either description and 

such weight or weighing instrument shall be forfeited to 

the State and any trade made by such weight or weighing 

instrument shall be void. 

   Explanation :- When any such weight or weighing 

instrument is found in the possession of 

any trader or of any employee or agent of 

such trader, such trader shall be presumed, 

until the contrary is proved, to have had it 

in his possession for use for trade.  

Unless there is anything repugnant in the 

subject or context, trade means and 

includes any dealing or contract. 

 

 

Penalty for 

giving short 

weight. 

23.  

 

Whoever in selling any article by weight delivers or 

causes to be delivered to the purchaser a weight less than 

what is purported to be sold shall, if the difference in 

weight exceeds the amount of error prescribed shall, on 

conviction, be punishable with fine which may extend to 

three hundred rupees or with imprisonment which may ex- 

tend to two months. 

 

 

Penalty for sale 

or delivery of 

weights, etc, not 

verified or 

stamped. 

24.  

 

Whoever sells or delivers any weight or weighing 

instrument not authorised, verified or stamped under this 

Act, shall on conviction, be punishable with fine which 

may extend to one thousand rupees or with imprisonment 

of either description which may extend to one year. 

 

 

Penalty for 

forging of 

stamp or 

tampering with 

weights etc. 

25.  

 

(1) Whoever forges or counterfeits any stamp used under 

this Act for the stamping of any weight or weighing 

instrument, or removes a stamp from any weight or 

weighing instrument and inserts the same into 

another weight or weighing instrument, or wilfully 

tampers with a weight or weighing instrument 

stamped under this Act so as to effect its accuracy, 

shall on conviction, be punishable with rigorous 

imprisonment for a period which may extend to six 

 



7 

 

months, or with fine which may extend to one 

thousand rupees, or with both. 

 

 

(2) Whoever knowingly uses, sells, disposes of or 

exposes for sale any weight or weighing instrument 

with such forged or counterfeit stamp thereon or a 

weight otherwise tampered with, shall on conviction, 

be punishable with rigorous imprisonment for a 

period which may extend to six months, or with fine 

which may extend to one thousand rupees or with 

both.  

 

Penalty for 

neglect or 

refusal to 

produce 

weights, etc, for 

inspection 

 26.  

 

Whoever on demand by any competent authority wilfully 

neglects or refuses to produce for inspection any weight or 

weighing instrument in his possession or in his premises 

or refuses to permit any person authorised in this behalf to 

examine the same or any of them, or obstructs the Entry of 

the authorised person into his premises, or other- wise 

obstructs or hinders him in performance of his lawful 

duties shall, on conviction, be punishable with fine which 

may extend to five hundred rupees or with imprisonment 

which may extend to six months. 

 

 

penalty for 

stamping any 

weight etc, in 

contravention 

of act or rules. 

27.  

 

If any Inspector or any other person authorised to exercise 

any of the functions under this Act or rules made 

thereunder knowingly stamps any weight or weighing 

instrument in contravention of the provisions of this Act 

or rules made thereunder, he shall, on conviction, be 

punishable with imprisonment of either description for a 

period which may extend to one year or with fine or with 

both ;  

 

        Provided that no Court shall take cognizance of an 

offence under this section except on prior sanction of the 

State Government. 

 

 

 

All offences 

cognizable.  

 

28. All offences under this Act shall be cognizable. 

 

 

 

Bar to suit, 

prosecution, 

etc, for any-

thing done in 

good faith. 

29.  

 

No suit, prosecution or other legal proceedings shall be 

instituted against any public servant for anything which is 

in good faith done or intended to be done under the 

provisions of this Act or rules made thereunder. 

 

 

 



8 

 

 

  PART V 

Miscellaneous 

 

 

Delegation of 

powers by the 

government . 

30.  

 

PART V Miscellaneous Any of the powers and duties 

conferred and imposed upon the State Government by this 

Act may be exercised and performed, subject to such 

conditions as the State Government may think fit, by any 

person whom the State Government may, by general or 

special order, empower in this behalf. 

 

 

Margin of error 31.  

 

The State Government may prescribe the amount of error 

to be allowed in selling articles by weight generally or as 

regards any trade or class of trades. 

 

 

Offences under 

other existing 

laws. 

32.  

 

Trial of offences under this Act shall not preclude the trial 

of any person under any other law in force for the time 

being 

 

 

Power of 

Government to 

make rules. 

33.  

 

The State Government may, after previous publication, 

make rules to carry out the purposes of this Act and such 

rules may provide a penalty not exceeding fifty rupees for 

a breach thereof. 

 

 

Repeal and 

amendments 

34.  

 

On the coming into force of this Act- The enactments 

specified in the Second Schedule to this Act shall be 

deemed to have been amended to the extent and in the 

manner specified in the second column thereof. 

 

 

 

 

THE FIRST SCHEDULE 

 

STANDARD WEIGHTS 

[See Section 3 (1)] 

Part I 

 

 

Act IX of 1939- Section 3, sub-section (1) of the Standards of Weight Act, 1939:- 

 

3.  (1) There shall be the following standard weights, namely:- 

 

(a) The standard tola, being a weight of 180 standard grains. 

 

(b) The standard seer, being a weight of 80 standard tolas or 14,400 standard grains. 

 

(c) The standard maund, being a weight of 40 standard seers. 

 

(d) The standard pound avoirdupois, being a weight of 7,000 standard grains. 



9 

 

 

(e) The standard ounce avoirdupois, being one-sixteenth part of the weight of a standard 

pound avoirdupois.  

 

(f) The standard hundred-weight, being a weight of 112 standard pounds avoirdupois. 

 

(g) The standard ton, being a weight of 2,240 standard pounds avoirdupois. 

 

 

Part II 

 

As multiples and sub-multiples of the Standard Weights in Part I above:- 

(a) Multiples of the tola :- 

 

5 tolas ... ... ... ... 1 chhatak, 

10 tolas ... ... ... ... 2 chhataks or half powa. 

20 tolas ... ... ... ... 1 powa. 

40 tolas ... ... ... ... 1/2 seer. 

 

( b) Sub-multiples of the tola :- 

 

1/2 tola ... ... ... ... 6 mashas. 

1/4 " ... ... ... ...  3 ". 

1/12 " ... ... ... ... l masha. 

1/16 " ... ... ... ... 1 anna. 

=6 ratis. 

1/24 " ... ... ... ... 1/2 masha or 4 ratis. 

1/96 " ... ... ... ... 1 rati. 

 

 

(c) Multiples of the seer:- 

 

5 seer ... ... ... ... 1 panseri or pasuri. 

20 " ... ... ... ... 1/2 maund. 

 

             

 

Standard Indian Air is defined as follows :- 

       Temperature,-85 deg. Fahr. 29.44 deg. cent. 

Pressure.- A column of Mercury at 0 deg. C.29·8 inches or 756-919 mm. in height. 

Carbon dioxide gas.- 0·0006 of the volume of the air. 

Vapour tension.- 0·75 inches: 19-05 mm. 

Latitude at Calcutta 22° 35'  6·6". 

Height above M. S. L.  22.6 feet. 

One litre of Standard Indian Air at Calcutta weights l•14917 grm, 

 

 

 

 



10 

 

 

 

 

THE SECOND SCHEDULE 

 

REPEAL AND AMENDMENTS 

(See Section 34) 

Enactment amended 

 

Title of the Act                                  Amendments 

 

1. The Assam Municipal Act, 1923  

(Assam Act V of 1923).                           

Clause (XXVIII) of section 297 shall  be 

deleted, and clauses (XXIX)                                              

(XXX) and (XXXI) renumbered as                                                 

clauses (XXVIII), (XXIX) and (XXX) 

respectively.  

 

2. The Assam Local Self-Government 

Act, 1953 (Assam Act XXV of 1953).                                       

 

 In clause ( d) of section 82 for the comma a 

semi-colon shall be substituted and the words 

"and prescribe the weights and measures to be 

used  in such bazars" shall be deleted.