Ghaziabad: Acting on the complaint of NGO Utprarit Consumer Foundation, the team of scientists and staff raided one factory in Mohan Nagar, Ghaziabad. This factory was allegedly making ISI-marked helmets without having a valid license to do so.
The manufacturing unit with the name of Agro Products was manufacturing helmets by the brand name Agro in Mohan Nagar and allegedly did not have a valid license to manufacture. It is informed that the validity of their license had allegedly expired last year but they were still marking the products as ISI. This is illegal as per the provisions of the BIS Act.
During the raid, seven members of the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) from Ghaziabad, police and members of NGO Utprarit Consumer Foundation were present as witnesses. Around 500 helmets with ISI mark, shells, cloth stickers, packing boxes, etc. were seized from the site, which were given to the owner Raj Kumar after sealing the facility. This will be the responsibility of the owner to keep the seal intact until the orders of the honourable court.
Here, it may be mentioned that due to poor quality of helmets many lives are being lost in India on roads due to accidents. Poor quality helmets do not provide protection to riders and due to the same, the government is taking a very serious note and is planning to put helmets in the compulsory list for ISI. Once listed as mandatory for obtaining ISI certification, none of the manufacturers will be able to sell non-ISI certified helmets and many precious lives could be saved.
Sandeep Sood from NGO Utprarit Consumer Foundation also stated that there are a lot of such manufacturers who are misusing the ISI certification like this and their NGO is always ready to fight for the protection of consumers from such kind of unlawful and illegal acts.
He also stated that they have already given similar complaints to BIS officials in Delhi and Faridabad and shortly expect similar actions from Faridabad and Delhi officials.