Govt issues steel quality control order for kitchen appliances

The government has issued a quality control order on sale of stainless steel flat products used to make utensils and kitchen appliances, a move that will check sale as well as import of sub-standard products.
The Steel Ministry in consultation with Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has issued Stainless Steel Products (Quality Control) Order, 2015. It seeks to check sale of defective or sub-standard stainless steel products.
The products include stainless steel sheets and strips for making utensils and low nickle austenitic stainless steel strip and sheets for making utensils and kitchen appliances.
"No person shall by himself or through any person on his behalf manufacture or store for sale, sell or distribute any stainless steel product which do not conform to the specified standards and do not bear standard mark of BIS, on obtaining a certification mark licence from BIS," Steel Ministry said.

The order will not apply to export of stainless steel products, which conform to specifications required by the buyer, the Ministry added in its directive.
Sub-standard or defective products that do not match the specific standard shall be disposed off as scrap as per the scheme of testing and inspection of the BIS, it said.
Welcoming the order, Indian Stainless Steel Development Association (ISSDA) President N C Mathur said this order, if enacted, will go a long way in securing the interest of the domestic consumers.
"It will also benefit the public at large considering the fact that we are exposed to stainless steel in one form or the other in all walks of life. This order will also help to curb the import of sub-standard stainless steel into the country," he added.